End Of The Line
by Starfighter Stories
Summary: At the end of their journey, Futaba Sakura and Akira Kurusu reflect on their journey before the final battle and subsequently transition into a new period in their lives together. Some fluffy stories with some sad moments and of course spoilers for Persona 5.
1. End of the Line

End of the line

Akira found Futaba sitting in her cell, staring dejectedly at the floor. Her chin rested on her knees and her headphones sitting in that patented Sakura Style only she could pull off. Her glasses sat next to her, and her whole body was trembling.

Akira couldn't blame her for being scared. His knees were still a little wobbly after being erased from existence. He could only imagine what was going through the poor girls head.

He approached the cell cautiously, not wanting to startle her. A handful of cheesy lines ran through his head.

"Hey doll, come here often?" and "looks like they finally caught the gal who stole my heart." And of course, he couldn't resist the urge to make a movie reference

"I'm Akira Kurusu and I'm here to rescue you!"

But he managed to suppress the urge to be a dork and slowly got down on one knee to speak to his girlfriend.

"Hey, you." He said softly.

Her eyes darted over to meet his, she blinked several times before feeling around for her glasses, practically shoving them onto her face.

"Akira..." she whispered before her eyes went wide and she put her hands over her mouth. Morgana had drilled it into them since day one. Phantom Thieves don't use their real names. Judging by Igor's temperament, however, the Velvet room seemed like an exception.

"Its ok, we're safe here." He assured her as her eyes watered.

"I-I watched you disappear. Y-you and everyone...we're dead...you're dead...you're not really here...t-this is h-h-hell huh?"

Akira's eyes widened, Futaba's breathing was starting to become shorter and sharper. Her Exhales lasted a fraction of a second. She wrapped her arms around herself as the tears started to flow. Having seen dealt with a few of her panic attacks before, Akira reacted instinctively. He took off his crimson gloves and thrust an arm through a gap cell door bars.

"Taba, take my hand."

Her breathing was getting faster, she tried to speak but the words tumbled out of her mouth, loud at first but quieting immediately after they left her lips. She reached out with a tremoring hand and gently grabbed onto him. He interlocked his fingers with hers and held her hand tightly.

"See? It's me. I'm ok, and you're ok. We're all ok. I just finished talking to Ryuji."

The poor girl had his hand in a death grip but she needed an anchor, so that's what he would be. He scooted towards the bars to be closer to her.

"D-don't let me go." She managed to say shakily. He squeezed her hand in response.

"Never."

"I-I'm sorry about t-t-this..."

"Taba, its ok. You're scared. I was scared when I woke up here too. I thought I lost you guys. But that doesn't matter anymore, I found you and you're safe. Nothing is going happen to you while I'm around."

He stuck another arm through the gaps in the cell door bars and place it on top of her's to steady her shaking.

"Take a deep breath for me. In and out nice and slow can you do that?"

She nodded and took a long shaky breath, he squeezed her hand a little tighter while she did so.

"There you go, just like that. You're doing good Futaba. You got this. Just keep breathing."

Her shaking hand stabilized and her breathing slowed over the course of several minutes. Occasionally as she inhaled, her breath would hitch several times in rapid succession and he would give her hand a gentle squeeze to remind her of his presence. The tears still flowed, but she was slowly regaining control.

"You gotta figure out how to get this door open." She managed to say, looking right into her boyfriend's eyes.

"The only person who can get you out of that cell is you Taba." He replied.

The girl's eyebrows scrunched up and she directed her gaze down and away from him, Akira silently cooed at her. He had seen her get like this before, like when she ran into a bit of a roadblock taking down Medjed or when she was playing through an old game with him when they got stuck on a puzzle and she threatened that she would smack him upside the head if he recommended they look at a guide.

...

"I'm your navigator here!" She told him. "I'll remember what to do. I know I will!"

Half an hour later, they ended up pulling up a guide on his phone. Much to her chagrin.

"I can't believe you, you're trusting this-this-"

She squinted at the screen and shook her head in disbelief.

-DRagOnSLaYer69 over me!"

"I would like to beat this dungeon before we reset the Doomsday Clock you know," Akira grumbled.

"We would have, once I remembered how this stupid puzzle worked!" She pouted.

"Counter-clockwise. We have to go counterclockwise to the 6 o'clock position." Akira summarized, putting his phone down.

"I knew that!" Futaba grumbled as they set about completing the puzzle only for a large demon to spawn in once they locked the rotating wheel in place.

"Dammit!" Akira yelped as he started attacking the pixilated monstrosity.

"We're fucked." His girlfriend said flatly once her avatar was turned into a fine paste by the demon's war hammer.

"No, we're not I just gotta-"

"Revive me? We're outta potions love."

"Shit really?"

"Yup." She replied as the demon grabbed Akira's avatar with its free hand and crushed him to death. A sinister 8-bit laugh erupted from the speakers. The image of the Grim Reaper loomed over their defeated vessels.

"DEATH COMES FOR YOU HUNTERS...GAME OVER."

"Whelp that's two hours we're not getting back." Akira sighed. "Sorry, Taba."

"That's what you get for trusting some weeb on the internet instead of your girlfriend." She teased.

"You of all people should not be using weeb as an insult," Akira told her with a wink.

"Shut up!" She exclaimed, giving her boyfriend a playful shove earning a chuckle from him as he checked his phone.

"Oohhh that would do it." He muttered.

"Hm?" Futaba asked leaning over to see what he was looking at.

"DragonSlayer was referring to the puzzle from the Legendary Version of the game where-"

"-everything's flipped." Futaba finished. "So it would be clockwise to the 12 o'clock-HOW did I forget that its the easiest puzzle in the world!" She lamented, throwing her arms up and falling into her boyfriend's lap.

"We suck." Akira summarized.

"Yes, we do. I blame you though." Futaba muttered.

"Well I'm sorry, but look at it this way. We get to experience the joy of the water sanctum all over again!"

"Bite me."

"I sense some tension." Morgana chimed in, returning from his late afternoon walk.

"Shush you," Futaba told him.

"Don't take it out on him, I messed up. So let me make it up to you."

"Diplomacy check!" Morgana called out.

"Exactly! Alright, Mr. Phantom Thief. What are you going to do get out of the doghouse?" She asked with a playful smirk.

"Well we can go grab some fried chicken, and we'll take another crack at the water sanctum and you can wear my nice sweater I got from our Hawaii trip."

Futaba's eyes widened.

"The fuzzy one?"

"The fuzzy one," Akira confirmed with a nod.

"Hmmm, that all sounds pretty good but I think you can do better."

"Better? Better?! All that isn't enough?

" 'Fraid not love."

"You little...come here!"

Futaba yelped as her boyfriend scooped her up and carried her over to the bed, gently tossing her onto it before diving in to tickle her sides

"N-no Akira please-AH!"

The poor girl broke down into a giggling mess as she tried to fight against her boyfriend's tickle assault. Once she was riled up enough he pinned her arms to the mattress and loomed over her.

"Ready to give up? Are you gonna take the chicken!"

"NEVER!" She bellowed trying to wiggle free of Akira's grip getting one arm loose and using her legs to push Akira back onto his butt. She sprung up and tackled him wrapping her arms around his upper torso and launching her own attack on the boy's upper ribs.

"I KNOW YOU'RE WEAKNESS AKIRA KURUSU."

"H-how?!" He managed through his own laughter only to hear the distinctive MWHEHEH of a certain feline.

"Morgana you traitor-Ahh!"

Futaba pushed Akira on his back and pressed her attack until he managed to roll onto his side, getting Futaba off of him. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close before ticking her belly some more.

"Nooo no please ok ok ok I give! I'll take the chicken, gimme the chicken!"

Akira ceased his attack.

"Ok." He panted before looking to Morgana.

"I'll deal with you later, I hope whatever sushi platter she bribed you with was worth it."

"Oh, it was!" The cat exclaimed defiantly.

"Sorry, Mona."

"I knew the risks when I leaked that info to you Futaba. Don't worry about me." He assured her.

Futaba rolled over to look at her boyfriend, snuggling up to him with a content sigh. Her red hair was a mess and her glasses had fallen off early in the battle but his heart still fluttered when she looked at him with her beautiful lavender eyes.

...

As Futaba sniffled and wiped her tears away, a small grin appeared on her face.

"What could you be smiling about at a time like this?" She asked.

"I was just thinking about how far we've come-how far you've come."

Futaba frowned.

"I went from a tomb to a prison, not sure I would call that progress."

"Futaba Sakura. You think too little of yourself. Do you know how strong you are, to have kept going for so long on your own before we found you?

"I locked myself in my room, I ran from my problems, I forgot what my mom was really like. I don't see how you consider that strength."

"Because you're a fighter Taba. You've been fighting longer than any of us. Even when you were fighting your own demons, you still tried to help others. That's the part of you that I admire. The part I've always admired."

"...Akira..."

"Don't even get me started on your promise list, do you know how proud I was to see you check those boxes off one by one. You kept thanking me for saving you but I don't think you realize how brave and strong you had to be to save yourself."

"I wish I could be that girl right now...I'm so scared."

"I'm scared too, just as scared as when we were trying to get through your palace."

"I'm sorry...I shouldn't have threatened you guys..."

"That wasn't why I was scared Taba, although that was part of it." He explained. "There were things in your palace...your guilt over your mom was killing you. We couldn't lose you like that. You needed our help."

"You didn't even know me..."

"So?"

Futaba squeezed her boyfriend's hand and shut her eyes tightly trying to hold back more tears as she thought back to all the times he put her needs ahead of his own. One, in particular, stood out.

...

Futaba bolted upright in a cold sweat, kicking the covers off her body after several seconds of starring off into space. It had been two weeks since the Phantom Thieves welcomed her into their ranks after venturing into her palace and changing her heart yet the nightmares persisted.

The image of her mother's death played on a loop in her head throughout the day. Infiltrating every thought she had like a virus. The red-haired girl rubbed her temples in agitation after she checked her phone for the time.

It was 5 AM

Way too early for this shit.

"Get out of my head." She hissed.

She briefly considered hopping on her PC and playing one of her favorite MMORPGs until Sojiro woke up. She could hop an American server and dork around for a few hours, assuming the game didn't need to update. Even in her frustration, she knew that this was only a temporary solution. Her eyes wandered to her phone once again.

"Look Futaba, if you're ever in trouble, just call this guy." Morgana had told her after her panic attack in Akihabara.

She realized she needed a friend, but it was late. Really late and after her day at the beach Sojiro had been pretty clear about her having guys over in case she ever met someone on her adventures.

"As long as you have my permission." He had told her.

She huffed and scooped her phone up from her nightstand. She could just talk to him, but she'd hate to wake him up. She opened her messaging app and scrolled through old texts from her teammates. She hoped reading through some supportive things from them would ease her mind and let her sleep.

That's when she noticed something odd. Akira was being shown as active on her messaging system. Meaning he had been talking with someone within the past half an hour.

She opened a chat window and started to type

 _Hey, are you_ -no.

 _Morning, what are_ -no.

 _Yo, wazzup, buddy?_ GOD NO.

Futaba sighed and dropped her phone onto her bed. Maybe she should just try and go back to sleep...

BZZZ BZZZ

Her eyes darted over to her phone. The notification showed one new message from Akira.

Crap. Did she send something by accident? She picked up her phone and read the message.

Hey Futaba, I saw you were trying to send me a message. everything ok?

"How did you see that?" She replied aloud and over text.

 _I was looking for something you sent me earlier to kill time. Then I saw the little bubble appear and disappear like eight times. Ann does that when she really needs to talk about something, so I just assumed it was a girl thing._ He replied.

She chuckled softly, eyes narrowing as her brain connected the dots.

Were you looking for that video I sent you of the ramen shop run by cats?

...Yes...

Why are you looking for that at 5 AM?

 _Because Morgana just had a really bad nightmare and now he's pacing around downstairs trying to relax. He keeps telling me he's fine and that I should go to bed, but I know that he's definitely not fine. So, I'm waiting for him to come back up so we can talk about it._

Before she could respond he sent a follow-up text.

 _Now stop avoiding my question. What's up?_

 _Nothing's up._ She replied a little too quickly.

 _Liar._

She huffed and put her head against the wall as another message came in.

 _I can't make you tell me, but if something is ever bothering you, I'm here. It's what I tell everyone. I want to help you with whatever's bothering you._

There was a brief pause.

 _Why do you think I set time aside during the week to make sure I spend time with you all individually?_

 _I just thought you were trying to grind your social stats._ She teased.

 _No XP_

 _Its called taking care of my friends._

Futaba could only type what she felt: _Awwww._

 _Now I'll ask one more time before I stop bugging you. Are you ok?_

Futaba hesitated before answering, she felt bad. He thought he was bugging her?

 _Honestly, I could use a hug right now. I had a pretty nasty nightmare myself._

His reply was near instantaneous.

 _Come on over. I'll make us some coffee._

 _Are you sure?_

 _Yes, Taba I'm sure, now make like a hedgehog and roll over here._

 _Aye aye, see you in a few._

...

"Futaba is coming over, she's had a rough night too." Akira told his favorite cat from the kitchen.

"I keep telling you, I'm F-I-N-E," Morgana grumbled.

"And I will keep telling you that's B-U-L-L-S-H-"

"Look I told you don't worry about me!"

"No! You're a part of this team just like everyone else, so it's my job to look after you."

"That's not our deal! I'm supposed to look after you! That's my job! I'm supposed to be the one who knows everything about the Metaverse! I have to be useful!"

"You don't have to be useful!"

"Yes, I do! I have to be more than just some stupid cat!"

"I don't care if you're just some stupid cat or God's best angel! None of that matters to me!"

"But it matters to me Akira, what if I'm not human? Then where do I belong?"

"Here! With me and Sojiro and Futaba because no matter what you were or whatever you become you will always be my best friend!"

Morgana took a step back, not used to seeing Akira so heated.

"...I always thought Ryuji was your best friend."

"Well he is, but so are you," Akira told him with a sigh, sitting down on the cafe's floor so he wasn't looming over the cat.

"...Sorry, I yelled at you."

"Sorry if you ever felt like you didn't belong here."

With the air clear, there was a content silence between the two before Morgana clambered into Akira's lap.

"You know, I just realized something. I've never taken you anywhere. You've always tagged along whenever I go have lunch with Ann or train with Ryuji but me and you have never had a day just to relax."

"You seem pretty relaxed when we make lock-picks."

"Well yeah, but me and you have never relaxed without any Phantom Thief related business hanging over our heads. So, I'll tell you what. This weekend we're going fishing. We'll catch our own sushi!"

"Really?"

"Yeah, I grew up in the country. Me and my dad went fishing all the time."

Morgana let out a long happy purr.

"Can't wait."

"Me neither buddy."

The door creaked as it was opened and the two turned their attention to the red-headed girl who just walked in.

"Yo..." She muttered, still half asleep.

"Hey, there miss, come here often?" Akira said with a goofy smile, getting up and walking over to greet her. She put her head down in embarrassment and extended her arms.

"Just gimme a hug you sentient pool noodle."

Akira complied and held her tightly in his arms while Morgana snickered at him.

"Pffft...pool noodle."

"Shut up."

...

"There's the smile I know and love," Akira said as she met his eyes.

"Shush you."

There was a brief silence between the two.

"You take such good care of us."

"Well, of course, I owe you guys. You gave me a home." Akira paused.

"With my own family, I never felt like I belonged. My mom kinda disowned me after I got charged with assault. My dad and I never got along, he was a doctor, thought I was going to follow in his footsteps. Take over the family practice. That's never what I wanted though."

"I don't think you ever told me about this..."

"Yeah sorry, its hard for me to admit I'm a lousy son."

"Akira...You saved that woman, who knows what Shido would have done to her if you hadn't intervened. You're one of the most selfless people I know. That's what I love about you. When you walked over here I knew you had a plan to make things right and I will follow you to ends of the earth if it means helping you do just that."

Akira's cheeks flushed, he didn't notice the bars of the cell door fading away.

"Love?"

Futaba rolled her eyes.

"Don't give me that. You said it first remember?"

...

A few days after successfully stealing Shido's treasure, the team assembled at Leblanc to celebrate their success. Despite their concern Shido's heart might not change, Akira got everyone to realize that their methods had not yet failed them and sitting around stressing about the situation, despite the danger they faced, was not helping anything.

He put the word out two nights before via the group chat and spent the next day turning his room into a party room while Sojiro went to grab supplies from the store and Morgana advised him on how they could best use what little space they had. Granted there weren't many of them, but the last thing they wanted was to feel cramped.

"I wonder if we should flip your bed on its side and move the desk in front of it." The cat wondered aloud, sitting on the couch.

"I'm not sure if I'll be able to move the desk on my own," Akira muttered. "Too bad I can't get Arsene to help me."

"Something tells me he wouldn't appreciate being summoned for menial labor," Morgana muttered.

"Good point."

Then came a noise from the staircase.

"HRNNNGGG."

Akira and Morgana turned to see the top of a large speaker slowly rising into view.

"Akira…I require…assistance!" Futaba yelped from out of sight.

The boy ran over to the stairs and quickly helped his girlfriend get the speaker up the last few steps. The pair had been dating for just over a month now and they had been debating on when to reveal their relationship to the rest of the team. Morgana was the only one who knew they were together. The couple also knew that Sojiro and Makoto were catching on and had a bet on which one of them would ask about it first. The others had noticed the pair grow incredibly close over the past month and the pair knew they would all wise up sooner or later.

Futaba was concerned it would interfere with the group dynamic as the other girls relied on him quite a bit while Akira was concerned for how the revelation would affect his relationship with Sojiro, who he considered to be a surrogate father of sorts to him. The last thing he wanted to was ruin that. Plus, there was the future. Akira wouldn't be in Tokyo forever, and we worried about the strain a long-distance relationship would put on them. Plus, there was his criminal record, which would be difficult to erase even with Shido's changed heart. Poor girl might show up to school with some nasty labels. He knew she didn't deserve that.

"Why didn't you ask me for help sooner?"

"Well, I got this far didn't I? Plus, I know you've been getting this place ready all by yourself today, so I figured helping out in my own way gives you one less thing to worry about. Because with this speaker, we'll blow the roof off this place!"

"I feel like we should still be trying to lay low."

"Says the guy who wanted to throw a party." Futaba chided as they set the speaker down. "Hey what gives?"

"I was going to leave it here until we get the rest of the room set up," Akira replied, turning to survey the rest of the room, no doubt trying to figure out where the speaker would be placed amongst everything else.

"Ah ok, gotcha." She nodded before giving her boyfriend a curious up and down. "Looks like you decided not to dress up after all."

"No no, I'm going to dress up like Ann wanted us to, I just need to change."

"That's fair, considering you're probably all smelly from cleaning all day, but speaking of outfits. How do I look?" Futaba asked, stepping out from behind the speaker that was almost as tall as her.

Akira's heart skipped a beat. Although Futaba's new outfit wasn't too different from the norm, there were some new elements Akira definitely was a fan of. Her new grey high-top sneakers went well with black thigh high socks that had some slashes in the legs, in addition, her signature jacket was now adorned with souvenir patches from all the places she and Akira had visited together and finally, she had a black choker with a few moderately sized metal studs for decoration.

"Amazing." He breathed.

"T-thanks." Futaba blushed before shaking her head to shoo the butterflies from her stomach and looking down the stairs.

"Now uh, can you help me with the other one?"

Akira almost passed out on the spot but nodded and followed her down the stairs. After lots grunts and groans they got the second speaker up the stairs and into position next to its twin. Futaba then managed to squeeze past them so she could help Akira finish cleaning and setting up before moving the speakers into their final position in the corner next to Akira's plant. Sojiro calling his name prompted Akira to head downstairs.

"I'm gonna go help Sojiro with groceries. Need any more help up here?"

"Nah, I just gotta get my computer hooked up so we can play music but I could that in my sleep. Go help Sojiro." Futaba replied.

"Come on Morgana, let's get you some dinner before things get hectic," Akira called as he was halfway down the stairs.

"Right behind you!" The cat replied, trotting after him.

Futaba put her headphones on as she plugged in chords and went through her playlists one more time. Her music collection was too weird and too scatterbrained to just leave on shuffle for the night. They might end up with some serious mood whiplash when My Chemical Romance starts playing after a High School Musical track. So, she made it a point to make a Leblanc Dance Party Playlist that could either be played from start to finish or put on shuffle. She also had a Karaoke Playlist that was loaded with a combination of songs that were quite fitting for all of them and others that were just plain weird. The thought of Haru singing All-Star by Smash Mouth made her giggle uncontrollably. She then set about putting her plan in motion.

"What are you up to Taba?" Akira asked her warily.

"Oh, nothing." She replied.

Downstairs, Akira finished laying out groceries on one of the booth tables and set about organizing everything while Morgana ate some sushi nearby. Sojiro has decided to spoil him tonight, Akira wasn't entirely sure how Morgana could eat sushi as it would make most cats sick but then again, Morgana was nothing like most cats.

"Are you guys going to tell the others about your relationship tonight?"

"I don't know. We both have our own concerns about it."

"Don't worry, I won't say anything if you guys decide not to."

"I know buddy. I trust you." Akira paused and furrowed his brow. His thoughts turned to his future.

Morgana, now with a belly full of sushi, walked over.

"What's on your mind?"

"Futaba, you, the others. I'm worried."

"About?"

"When I leave, I'm worried we'll all drift apart. Futaba has been doing really well with being on her own, but I've always been here for her. Just down the street. Sure we have Skype and our cell phones if we ever have a bad day, but it's not the same. Then there's you when all of this is said and done. What happens to you? It's scary. I found the place I belong…and soon I'll have to leave."

Morgana got up on the table.

"Akira, that will never happen. We've all been through too much together to just drift apart like it never happened. Sure we may get busy after all Ann has her modeling, Yuskue has his art and Ryuji has…well, whatever he has and I have you."

Akira cocked his head in confusion.

"Chief and Futaba would never forgive me if I let something to you and Ryuji would never shut up about. You're my best friend and I'll be here for you as human or cat or something else entirely, for as long as I can. As for Futaba, she's gotten a little bit stronger every day since she met you and she'll keep getting stronger every day from here on out. It'll be hard at first, but that girl has a strong heart. She forgot that for a little while but now that you reminded her of that, she'll never lose sight of that fact."

Akira smiled at his friend and rubbed the back of his head.

"Well someone's sappy tonight."

"Don't get used to it." The cat teased.

"Akira!" Futaba called from his room. "We're all set up here, come up and give it a listen!"

"Be right there!" He told her, jogging upstairs. When he reached the top of the stairs, Futaba had the lights dimmed. She stood with her back to the stairs and when she heard him enter the space she looked over her shoulder with a sly grin.

"Wait right there." She told him.

"Uh, ok." Her boyfriend replied.

"Ready to see a special dance I've been working on?"

Akira's cheeks were bright red.

"Y-yeah, go ahead."

"Ok…here goes." She said, walking over to her laptop and hitting play.

"What is this girl up to?" Akira wondered as the lights suddenly came back on, Futaba whipped around and pointed at him with the goofiest grin on her face as she sang:

 _Never gonna give you up_

 _Never gonna let you down_

Akira's hand flew up and smacked his forehead, but he could barely contain his laughter.

 _Never gonna run around and desert you_

 _Never gonna make you cry_

 _Never gonna say goodbye_

"Did you really set all this up just so you could rickroll me?" Akira managed, he was laughing so hard he was crying.

"Of course! Have you met me?" Futaba replied, now she was laughing, walking over to her boyfriend, offering him her hand.

"May I have this dance?"

Akira shook his head and put his hand in hers. The pair then engaged in an exaggerated waltz across the dance floor, laughing as they did their best to sing along to the ultimate joke song. Morgana trotted up the stairs and hopped up onto the banister to investigate, chuckling when he saw the pair's sad excuse for waltzing.

"Very elegant you two." He teased, prompting Futaba to stick her tongue out at him as the track came to a stop, now replaced with a new song.

"Sounds like a slow one." Akira managed to say with a chuckle.

"Mhmm." His partner replied, resting her head on his chest and scooting in closer towards him, wrapping her arms around his waist and he reciprocated. They stayed like that for a while, swaying to the music and enjoying the other's presence. Finally, Futaba broke the silence.

"I heard what you and Mona were talking about downstairs."

"Oh, sorry about that. I don't want you to think I'm doubting us or anything…it's just I'm worried about what people at your school would say if they found out you were dating the guy with the record or what being apart will do to us. I'm just scared of losing this, I'm scared of losing you."

There was another period of silence between them, but it didn't last long.

"Come on, let's talk." She told him, leading him to the couch

His heartrate practically doubled.

"Ok."

Did he ruin everything?

She sat down first and he sat down across from her, but she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and pulled him towards her, pulling his head into her lap. He looked up at her with a dozen emotions in his eyes. Fear, sadness, and adoration, all there. It may have only been a month, but she could read him like a book.

"I'm disappointed in you."

Shit, he might have ruined everything, he tried to apologize but she shushed him.

"I can't believe you thought there would ever be a day where I wouldn't be happy to have you in my life. I will never ever be ashamed of you because of your records. I don't care what anyone else calls me. I know you, I know that assault charge is not who you are. You're brave, you're courageous…you saw the worst part of me and yet you swept me off my feet anyways. I know you're scared, sometimes I get scared about us too. I get worried something will happen to you, I get worried my depression will come back and drive you away, but I never want you to feel like you have to hide that from me. You can't be the brave one all the time and sometimes even you're not strong enough to deal with everything on your own. That's why you have me."

She ran a hand through his signature frizzy hair, smiling at him as she did so. His eyes met hers and tears began to form.

"As long as you remain the sweet, courageous, adorkable Joker I've come to love, you will never lose me and if this past month, even with all its ups and downs, is a snapshot of what is to come, then I want to be with you forever."

Akira squeezed his eyes shut in an effort to stop the tears, rolling over onto his stomach and wrapping Futaba up in his arms. She held his head in her hands, running her fingers through his hair to soothe him as he buried his face in her chest. She could tell he was trying so hard not to cry and when he spoke, he was so quiet she was amazed she heard him.

"I love you."

She kissed him on to top of his head.

"I love you too, so so much."

They stayed like that for a few minutes until a loud sniffle drew their attention to the stairs. In the shadows they could see their teammates lurking in the shadows, watching with great interest.

"Damnit Ann…" Ryuji grumbled.

"I'm sorry, it was a really sweet moment." She grumbled.

"I knew it," Makoto whispered excitedly.

"Shit," Akira muttered as he let go of Futaba and sat up.

"Hehe, looks like you're buying dinner next time we go out." Futaba snickered.

"Yeah yeah I know."

"Mona-chan! How come you never told us about this?" Haru asked, almost sounding offended for being kept out of the loop.

"I'm sorry, I was sworn to secrecy. They didn't want to tell you guys until they were comfortable." Morgana explained.

"I wonder if Sojiro knows…" Yusuke muttered.

"For now, what happens in the loft stays in the loft. Got it Inari?"

"I understand completely." He replied, knowing well not to cross Futaba.

"Right, well I gotta go change real quick but I'll be right back. You guys get started without me." Akira told his girlfriend before getting off the couch and heading downstairs with a bundle of clothes he pulled from his storage box.

Once he was out of sight, Futaba motioned for the others to come up into the loft and over to the couch where she was sitting.

"Is he ok?" Makoto asked eyebrows scrunched up with worry.

"Yeah, I was just wondering that myself. His eyes were kinda red when he went downstairs."

"He isn't doing too great right now, I can go into some details later but for now just make sure you show him lots of love tonight, ok?" Futaba pleaded.

They all nodded in unison and when Akira came back up the stairs he was practically tackle hugged by the whole team.

"Hi!" Haru exclaimed

"You blew right past us when you went downstairs dude!" Ryuji added.

"Yeah! Not cool! Do you know how long it's been since I got a genuine Joker hug?" Anna complained

"Sorry guys, I just wanted to get out of my nasty clothes before we got this party started," Akira told them.

"We forgive you," Yuskue assured him.

"Just this once, but next time, hugs no matter what!" Makoto added.

"Ok ok, noted." He replied as Futaba broke off from the group to hop on her computer.

"Alright, let's get this party started!" She proclaimed proudly as her music started to play.

...

The bars between the two had disappeared, Futaba stood tall and proud in her signature Phantom Thief garb wearing her signature mischievous grin that Akira had come to love.

"Ready to go save the world?" She asked, pulling her goggles up onto the top of her head.

"Honestly, no... are you?"

"Hmm, not quiet. I can't let my favorite Phantom Thief go into our climactic final battle without a power-up."

She grabbed the collar of his shirt and pulled him close, her lips crashing into his. It was all so sudden, Akira's mask fell off his face and his heart was pounding so fast he thought it was going to fly out of his chest. Instinctively he picked Futaba up and she, in turn, put her arms around his neck as blue flames swirled around the pair and a familiar voice thundered out a cry:

"WHO DARES CHALLENGE THE PILLAGER OF TWILIGHT AND HIS YOUNG WARD?!"

Arsene loomed over the young couple in a crouched battle stance, wings extended to full length, while Futaba and Akira parted and mumbled flatly in unison:

"Not now."

Arsene went stiff and stood up, his wings folding as he did so, looking at the pair before noticing Akira's mask on the ground. He grumbled something to himself before disappearing, leaving azure embers floating in his place.

Akira smiled fondly at his girlfriend.

"I love you." He whispered.

Now her cheeks were just as red as his.

"In case you didn't realize, that was for luck." She gave him another quick peck on the lips, "and I love you too but you can put me down now. We gotta get moving."

Akira nodded, setting her down gently.

"Right."

"Ready to go kick some ass?" She asked him, taking his hand in hers.

"As long as you've got my back, taking down a god will be a piece of cake." He replied giving her hand a squeeze before they started walking down the corridor.

"I love it when you get cocky." She grinned. "I bet you'll try and put a bullet right between his eyes.

Akira chuckled.

"Wouldn't that be something."


	2. Aftermath

Akira was dragged out from his bed by a pair of men in body armor. They were screaming at him to put his hands behind his back before one of the officers smacked him in the back of the head with the butt of their rifle.

Even though his ears were ringing, and his stomach was turning, he could still hear a scuffle downstairs. Another officer across the room threw Morgana into a burlap sack. Downstairs, Sojiro was calling out to him, telling him to run. Then he remembered who was sleeping on the couch. One officer scooped his girlfriend off the couch and threw her to the ground.

She managed to get to her feet and run over to him to try and pull the police officers off him, but she was quickly thrown to the ground and cuffed by another pair. One keeping his knee firmly in her back. She cried out his several times, each time a little louder. He struggled against the officers that kept him pinned to the ground and snarled at the ones who had just thrown Futaba to the ground.

"Leave her alone! She has nothing to do with this!"

"Oh, I beg to differ old friend." A familiar voice told him, cutting through the chaos.

Akira's blood ran cold.

"No."

He looked up to see a guy his age looming over him a tan suit, gun drawn and pointed at his head.

"Don't hurt him!" Futaba snapped, still trying to break free.

"Aketchi..." The Phantom Thief hissed. "You'll never get away with this."

Aketchi chuckled, seemingly reading his mind.

"What makes you think I came here to kill you?"

The Ace Detective then spun around, bringing his pistol to bear on Futaba. Before the scream could even escape Akira's throat, the hammer on the gun fell.

...

Akira screamed as he sat up, finding himself upright in his bed. His forehead was beaded with sweat, yet his entire body was shivering. His breathing was shaky for several minutes and when he finally got his brain to accept the frightening events as nothing more than a nightmare he started to calm down.

Instinctively he called out, the coarseness of his own voice startling him.

"Sorry Morgana I-

He stopped.

Morgana was gone, he reminded himself. Grabbing his phone and checking the time, he noticed it was 7 AM. He raised an eyebrow and listened hard but herd no sign of Sojiro's presence downstairs. Perhaps it was for the best he thought as he dialed the number he had been given the night before. Much to his surprise, he got an answer almost right away.

"Hello?"

"Hey Sae-San, I'm ready."

She sighed dejectedly

"Ok, I'll be there in half an hour."

Akira felt bad calling her this early.

"I didn't wake you, did I?"

"No, I've been up for a few hours. I'm just not looking forward to the rest of today. Makoto deserves a better Christmas than this...and so do you."

"If this is what I have to do to make things right, then so be it."

"You're a good kid Akira Kurusu."

"Thanks, Sae... I'll make us some coffee for the drive."

"Sounds good, see you in a bit." She replied before hanging up leaving Akira alone with his thoughts.

"Merry Christmas to me." He muttered before getting out of bed.

...

Makoto was the first to find out, she knew her sister too well. She never stayed up all night unless something was bugging her and the signature on the side of her coffee cup confirmed her suspicions. There was only one guy she knew with handwriting that sloppy.

"Where's Akira?" She asked coldly.

"Merry Christmas to you too." Sae replied, trying not to meet her sister's eyes.

Makoto's voice cracked, and she took a step forward, daring her to keep up the act. Her sister wasn't even facing her.

"Sis, w-where is he..."

"The police station...he turned himself in."

Makoto took a step back as the room span around her, she felt sick.

"...why?"

"He acted on my recommendation. I warned him what could happen to all of you if he didn't take the fall. He and I agreed. We both wanted to keep you all safe."

Makoto's tears still flowed, but now she was angry. She surged forward forcing her sister to look at her.

"We would have kept him safe! WE would have kept each-other safe!"

Now Sae faced her sister, she knew she was upset but she had to make her understand.

"Maybe in the Metaverse but out here things are different. Shido had connections and if they were smart enough to infect all of Tokyo with their lies then they could find you all in a heartbeat."

"So, you think he's better off with the police? Who he's had under his thumb for who knows how long? If they have someone on the inside- "

Makoto choked back a sob and tried to finish, but when her thoughts drifted towards her friends, her heart sank. She started sobbing and her sister instinctively wrapped her in a hug.

"It's going to be ok. Nothing will happen to him. I swear it."

"I-I'm scared sis..." Makoto managed.

Sae could only rub her back and offering some comforting words but her next question surprised her.

"Is Futaba ok?"

Sae looked quizzically at her sister and that made her breakaway from her embrace and dart into her room.

"Makoto, I know you're upset with me but- "

When she emerged, she was wearing her coat, the tears had stopped, and she emanated a steely calm.

"I need to go to Leblanc."

"Do you need me to go with you?" Sae asked as her sister brushed past her, heading straight for the front door.

Makoto looked back at her with a tired expression, her walls were down.

"You should get some rest, you look exhausted. We can open presents tonight after dinner..."

Sae nodded.

"Ok."

Makoto sighed.

"Sorry I yelled at you. You didn't deserve that..."

"It's ok...part of me thinks I did." Sae replied, remembering she once had a palace.

Makoto quickly walked over and gave her a big hug.

"No, you didn't, trust me."

Sae hugged her back, feeling a sense of relief wash over her.

"I love you sis." Makoto affirmed before letting go and heading out the front door, leaving Sae alone with her thoughts and half a cup of coffee.

...

Futaba strolled into Leblanc with classic Santa hat on her head and a small messily wrapped present in her arms. She had managed to convince a reluctant Sojiro to put on some reindeer ear antlers before he had grabbed both of their stockings from his closet. His was bright red with silver snowflakes dotting the surface and the Joker was stitched in white cursive. While Futaba's was green with red polka dots across the surface. Her codename, Oracle, was in white cursive across the top as well.

As the door opened, Futaba wiggled past Sojiro and shouted at the top of her lungs: Hoho! Merry Christmas!

Silence.

The smile that she wore quickly changed to a grumpy frown as she turned to Sojiro.

"You didn't keep him up all night cleaning, did you?"

Sojiro put his hands up defensively.

"No no, we cleaned up together. It didn't take us long at all."

Now her attention was turned back to the stairs, still expecting her boyfriend to come trotting down the stairs. Instead, she felt her heart slowly start to sink. Was he upset with her after last night?

More silence.

She rolled her eyes and set her present on the counter before heading asking Sojiro to get a pot of coffee going before disappearing as she entered the loft. What she expected to find was Akira still fast asleep with Morgana cuddled up next to face. His arm hanging off the bed and a bit drool on his pillow and his hair a bit of tangled mess. Mona notes to her on many occasions that Akira was quite the active sleeper when stressed.

Instead, she was faced with reality. Mona was gone, and so was he. His bed was neatly made, and his room was tidy as always. Not that there had ever been much to make a mess with anyway.

The only thing that was out of place was present, white wrapping paper and a thick gold ribbon. As she walked over to examine it, she noticed it had a tag with her name on it. She picked it up and looked around worryingly before heading back downstairs, where even Sojiro seemed concerned.

"He's not up there?"

"No... maybe he went out for a walk?"

"Maybe...but the front door was locked, unless he locked it when he left..."

The sound of the door opening made them both turn around, instead of seeing their favorite frizzy haired Tokyo boy, they saw Makoto Nijima who wore a grim expression.

"Sorry to intrude, but I need to discuss something with you both. It's about Akira."

Futaba sat down on the nearest barstool, her heart was pounding now, and her hands trembled.

"What happened?" She asked trying to hide her fear.

"My sister told me..." Makoto took a shaky breath. "...Akira turned himself in to the police this morning."

Futaba gasped, putting a hand to her mouth. Tears fell onto the pristine white wrapping paper in her lap which slowly slid from her grip and fell to the floor with a soft thud.

"...N-no..." She whispered before repeating herself several more times, her voice getting louder each time. Sojiro was stunned but Makoto managed to summon the will to move towards her friend, wrapping her in a protective embrace.

"I'm so sorry Futaba..."

The younger girl clinged to her as she cried, her whimpers muffled by Makoto's coat, but the older girl was able to make out what she was saying.

"W-why didn't he tell me? He t-tells me everything." She asked, looking up to closest thing she had as a big sister for an answer, but Makoto could only shake her head.

"I-I don't know..." She replied, shaking her head before holding Futaba as tight as she could. The pair cried together for the rest of the morning.

...

As he entered the Juvenile Hall Cafeteria Akira recalled the poignant words of a famous American newsman:

 _I immediately regret this decision._

These words came to mind as he went to sit down only to confronted by a kid who looked to be two or three years his senior and would have been just a bit taller than him and Futaba stacked on top of each other. Then again, he wasn't too good at eye balling things like distance or height so that could have been an adrenaline-fueled exaggeration.

"What you in for man?" He boomed.

Akira decided to be honest, well as honest as he could be without sounding like a lunatic.

"I fought back against the establishment, but in the end even though we won, someone had to take the fall for picking a fight with the guys in charge. So, I turned myself in to keep my friends safe."

The Giant was silent for a solid minute before he spoke again.

"Rock the fuck on dude."

The young(?) man extended a fist.

"Pound it."

Akira compiled about as enthusiastically as he could.

"They call me Tiny Tim. Stick with me, since it's your first day, someone will need to show you around."

Tim instructed before motioning for him to follow. Akira wasn't dumb enough to say no.

...

Futaba had her head on the counter, staring blankly at unopened presents on the floor as Sojiro and Makoto explained what happened earlier that morning.

She reached down and picked up her present, sitting up and putting it in her lap. The conversation went quiet as all eyes fell on her. She sniffled a few times before flipping the tag with her name on it. She was the only one who could read his crappy handwriting.

 _To my best friend, my navigator in life and in the Metaverse, my beautiful better half who is no doubt rolling her eyes at this note, stop that! I'm trying to be a good boyfriend! XP_

a small smirk appeared on her lips, but her heart still had a hole in it and the next line threatened to start the waterworks all over again.

 _-I love you more than anything. This next chapter in our story will be hard on us but I know we can make it through. Don't ever let yourself think for one minute that I will give up on us while I'm away._

 _Love you Taba_

 _Merry Christmas_

 _From Akira_

A single tear fell down her cheek as she looked up at her friends who had now surrounded her, offering their support.

"Should I open it?"

Ryuji nodded in confirmation, he was doing his best to keeps his spirits up for everyone's sake.

"He'd want you to open it."

Haru nodded.

"It's true! He worked really hard on this."

Futaba raised an eyebrow before looking down at the present at opening it with as much enthusiasm as she could muster, when she opened the box, she smiled sadly.

"Akira..." she murmured pulling out a hardcover book with a gorgeous sleeve. The cover depicted a steampunk city laid out before a mighty pyramid and showed a dashing airship captain back to back with a beautiful archeologist.

"My mom and I loved the first book...I didn't know there was a second one."

She opened the book to thumb through the pages, hoping to see one or two of beautiful illustrations the author was known for, only to spot something that took her breath away. The author had signed the title page and left a little note for her.

 _Dear Futaba Sakura,_

 _Your boyfriend told me how much you and your mother loved my series. I'm happy to report my little side project became a huge success thanks to passionate readers like you and your mother. Hope you like the rest of this series! Book three is on the way!_

 _Merry Christmas!_

 _Sincerely_

 _Kon Kimitada_

There was one more thing she found in the book. A beautiful gold necklace that resembled the Phantom Thief logo with an Egyptian flair. The goggles replaced with a single eye of Horus and signature top hat looked more like crown of the Pharaoh, complete with a cat crest. The entire head piece was engulfed with a crimson flame.

"Oh my..."

"We all helped a little." Ann began. "Yusuke helped with the design. Haru found a jeweler to make the pendant."

"He owed me a favor." She added quickly.

"I helped pick out the necklace itself while Ryuji and Morgana helped find real gold in mementos." Ann finished.

"I must say I'm quite pleased with the final product. That jeweler did an excellent job on bringing my design to life."

"I helped him get the book signed, that author had a parking ticket that Sae was able to take care of." Makoto explained.

Futaba ran a finger over the face of the pendant.

"It's beautiful..."

"Turn it over." Makoto told her.

She slowly turned the pendant over in her hand to see the inscription.

 _Even after we're dead and gone, I'll always be your key item._

 _-Joker_

That did it.

All her fears and all her hopes came flooding into her mind, she sobbed and hunched over, holding the necklace close to her heart, both hands wrapped around the pendant. Her friends all did their best to hold her in a protective embrace.

"I-I'm scared guys...w-w-what if I lose him too."

Her whole body was shaking, and her breathing was becoming more erratic. Makoto instinctively sprang into action, having helped other students at school with their panic attacks.

"Hey Futaba, listen to my voice ok?"

Futaba shut her eyes tightly.

"I'm gonna be alone again!"

Makoto felt her heart sink, but she gently took Futaba's hands into her own.

"Futaba look at me."

The girl slowly met her eyes.

"You will always be Oracle. I will always be Queen. You became one of us after we stole your heart and because of that you will never ever be alone ever again."

Futaba choked back a sob and threw her arms around Makoto, hugging her tightly. In response the others hugged the pair tightly.

"I love you guys so much." She murmured.

"We love you too." Makoto replied.

"These next few months are going to be hard on all of us, so don't hesitate to call any of us if you need anything ok?" Ann instructed.

Futaba nodded.

"Same to you guys, don't hesitate to lean on me ok?"

They clung to each other for several minutes, Futaba felt her weary heart shatter when even Ryuji started sniffling. She reached up to put her hand on his, in response he grabbed her hand while Yusuke put a comforting arm around his friend.

"What are we gonna do?" Haru asked.

Makoto and Futaba looked to each other and the group broke away from each other.

"We're going to bring him home." Makoto told them.

They all nodded solemnly, their sadness turning into resolve.

"Let's started our war council." Futaba told them all as they each took a seat.

…

That night, Futaba's nightmares returned for the first time in months.

Somehow, she was back in her tomb and Shido had figured out she was daughter of a famous scientist who discovered the Metaverse. Now Aketchi was coming for her.

Unfortunately for him, The Phantom Thieves had something to say about that. Akira stood in front of her, while the black dragon Seth loomed over them both, snarling and hissing, his sulfur breath filling the stale air of the tomb. Across from Akira stood Aketchi, his persona Loki floated behind him, a blazing red sword aimed right at the pair.

"You've got nowhere to run Joker."

Akira clutched his dagger tighter and Seth roared in defiance.

"Let's finish this." He snarled as the two charged each other.

Aketchi snarled, stepping forward and slashing diagonally at Akira's chest, only for him to slide under the strike and stabbed Aketchi in the back of the knew before popping up into a crouch and rolling away, but Aketchi whipped around and slashed at his opponent, the tip of hid blade raking Akira's spine. The Phantom Thief tumbled out of the roll but quickly got to his feet.

Meanwhile Set crashed into Loki, snapping at his head with his jaws in an attempt to end the battle quickly. The massive humanoid grabbed Set by the jaws and pushed him away before reaching out to his sword which had been sent flying during their initial collision. As Loki caught the weapon and prepared to strike a disorientated Akira, Set took to the air and sunk his talons into Loki's chest. Black blood flowed from the wound as Set hefted the persona into the air before slamming him down, leaving the trickster god dazed. Set hissed seizing the Loki's head with his jaws and biting down hard before lifting him up and throwing him through the air away from the battling Persona users.

Akira sidestepped a thrust from Aketchi's sword, stepping inside his guard and driving his dagger into the inside of his elbow. Aketchi grimaced and wrapped his other arm around Akira, pulling him in close and kneeing him twice in the gut before Akira kicked him away. Aketchi put his sword in his other hand and leapt towards Akira striking his face with his elbow before ducking under a retaliatory slash and swinging at Akira with his blade, it's steel tip ripping open his skin and leaving a bloody wound.

As the battle started to turn, Futaba tried to scream, she tried to call Prometheus but her voice failed her. All she could do was watch.

Loki threw an overhanded punch that knocked Seth to the ground, leaving him stunned. The persona strolled over sword in hand and drove it's weapon through the dragon's skull. The beast disappeared, and Akira clutched his chest and staggered, unable to dodge two quick slashes to his chest. The leader of the Phantom thieves crumpled to the ground and Futaba felt a pit form in her stomach. Her eyes threatened to well up with tears but instead of crying, she summoned all her might and took a step forward.

She ran to shield her boyfriend from the next attack, scooping up his sidearm and putting herself between him and Aketchi.

"DO NOT FUCKING TOUCH HIM." She snarled, aiming to put a bullet right between Aketchi's eyes. Their old foe didn't even break stride, winding up to strike her down without any hesitation. He barely started his swing when she pulled the trigger.

... 

Futaba awoke with a gasp, looking around to make sure she was in her room and not back in her tomb. Once she was sure of her surroundings, she picked up her necklace and held it close to her heart. She was sure of one thing, she was going to fight for him. Just like he fought for her. No one was taking him away from her, but for now she laid back down and started drifting off back to sleep. Tomorrow the real work would begin, the Phantom Thieves weren't done. Not yet.


	3. Family Emergency

Akira had been home for a few months now, thanks to the concentrated efforts of his allies in Tokyo, he was a free man with a clean record. Granted, rumors would persist as rumors do, but as far as the records were concerned, he was just some random kid that got swept up in one of the biggest political scandals the world had ever seen. To hell with what everyone else thought. He had his friends, his fellow Phantom Thieves, and he had his Futaba Sakura, his girlfriend whom he was stupidly in love with. If he had to be a societal outcast, there wasn't anyone else he'd rather be marooned with.

It was a warm spring evening and Akira was relaxing in his room, the red headphones Futaba had given him for Christmas hanging around his neck as he sent out his weekly emails to the rest of the Phantom Thieves while Mona lounged in his lap.

He had been expecting a Skype call from her for the past half an hour, but it wasn't uncommon for her to be a few minutes late if she was caught in a raid on Destiny 2, twenty minutes if she was playing Fortnight, forty-five minutes late? Unheard of.

Granted there were some nights where she had to cancel, so she would shoot him a quick text and they'd reschedule, but she had been quiet for most of the evening and now he was starting to feel worried. He hoped she wasn't sitting in her room after a bad day at school, trying to cram her emotions into a box so that she wouldn't 'bother' him with them.

His girlfriend had matured a lot in the past few months, having come a long way from the girl trapped in a pyramid but there were days where she managed to convince herself that no one wanted to hear about her problems or that telling him about her bad days somehow made her a pain to be around. On those days he would have to push her a bit to open up be it with a tickle fight or curling up together and cheering on Ryuji during one of his League of Legends Twitch Streams.

Perhaps, he thought as his phone rang, today would be one of those days.

He smiled at her picture on his phone and her contact name: beautiful. The picture was one they had taken together while out in Akihabara, she had jumped into his arms and planted a kiss on his cheek when he took to Snapchat to brag about how he had "the best girlfriend in the whole world". He had gone back and nabbed a screenshot of that moment to add to the picture folder on his desktop labeled Taba and saved it to his phone as well.

"Hey love, everything ok?" He asked as he answered the call.

Her shortened breath immediately became prevalent and she was sniffling, rather than pressing her for answers, he waited as she took a deep breath. He could tell she was trying to compose herself.

"I-It's Dad...he had a heart attack."

Akira felt his stomach lurch, he put a hand to his mouth and stood up, feeling like was about to be sick as the room spun around him. Morgana was standing too, head cocked to one side as he tried to listen in.

"We were heading home after we closed up for the night and then he just-he just-" Akira could tell she was trying not to cry, but she couldn't keep her guard up any longer.

"He just collapsed..." She sobbed. "I've n-never seen anything like i-it."

"What's going on?" Morgana asked.

"Chief's in the hospital, he had a heart attack," Akira told him, a shiver running up his spine as he uttered those words.

"Oh man..."

"Find us a train to Tokyo ASAP." Morgana knew Akira wasn't talking to him anymore, it was Joker.

"On it."

"Me and Mona are on the way. I'll let you know when I have an ETA."

"Ok...are you sure though? I know your family-"

"You and Sojiro are family too, don't worry about my Dad. I'll deal with him."

"Ok, ok."

"Have you told the others?"

"No, it's late, I didn't want to bother them.

"They'll want to know...don't worry about it ok, I'll put the word out. You just focus on Dad. He's going to be pissed when he comes to, and you know how picky he is about is coffee when he's grumpy."

"Boy do I." She replied with a soft chuckle.

"45 minutes, last train to Tokyo...it's gonna be expensive though," Morgana told him.

Akira tossed the cat his wallet.

"Reserve the seat now, pull it out of my savings."

"Okay, so much for getting a motorcycle this month." Morgana teased.

Akira rolled his eyes playfully. He was grateful for the cat's presence. Even now, Morgana kept him grounded. Never letting him burrow to far inside his own thoughts to get lost in despair.

"Alright, I gotta get going, see you in a few hours ok?"

"Ok...Love you."

"Love you too. Text me if you need anything." He told her before ending the call and heading over to his closet, pulling out a large backpack. Anticipating any future emergencies when they first start dating, Akira had a backpack loaded with clothes and toiletries, so he could get to Tokyo as soon as possible. He had gotten the idea from his Mom who told him stories of the bag she kept at the ready when his Dad was doing his residency. Her loadout was a little different from his, as she only packed pajamas, snacks and a god awful pun book that she reads to this day but the principals behind having the bag remained:

When the person you love needs you, come prepared.

Akira threw on some sweats and one of his favorite sweaters as Morgana hopped into his bag before he picked up the backpack, slung it over his shoulder and went downstairs.

...

Akira's father sat in his recliner, reading through a self-improvement novel while his Mother sat on the couch scrolling through a travel website, planning future family vacations. Akira's father looked up from his novel to see his son jogging down the stairs with a bulky backpack in tow.

"Where you off to kiddo?" His dad asked.

"Tokyo, Sojiro had a heart attack. I need to go see him."

His father looked shocked and his mother gasped before reaching for her purse. "Of course hun, do you need money for the train?" His mom asked.

Ever since his charges had been cleared she had been trying to make up for practically throwing him to the wolves. Akira loved his mother, she knew him better than anybody, but the damage had been done and the scars that remained wouldn't fade anytime soon.

"No mom, its ok. I used my savings to get my ticket." He assured her.

She visibly saddened, a chance to redeem herself vanished. Now it was father's turn to speak.

"I thought you were going to come help me tomorrow? At the practice?"

"Well I was Dad, but this is more important."

"Nothing is more important than family." His father said standing up.

"You're absolutely right...that's why I'm going to Tokyo," Akira replied, heading straight out the door without another word. The family room, was silent for several minutes before Sone shook her head and sighed.

"You know, he's not eight years old anymore. Standing up and raising your voice won't work anymore."

Kawano shook his head in response.

"I can't believe him. Wasting his savings to rush off and see someone he barely knows."

"Well, I'm proud of him. That man welcomed him into his home. The least he can do is go see him after something like this."

"But when I need help, he acts like I'm asking him to move Mt Fuji!"

"You know that's not why he doesn't like going into the office."

Kawano sighed.

"I don't understand...we gave him anything a kid could want. A nice bed. Nice clothes, a nice place to call home..."

"But when he needed us, we abandoned him. We both did. We preached to him about how important family is but when we were tested...we failed him.

She sighed again, taking her reading glasses off.

"Meanwhile, a man neither of us has ever met welcomed him into his home, when no one else would and kept him out of trouble long enough for us to get a chance to make things right with our son and now he could be dying, hell he could be dead."

"He made him live in the attic, he made him take the train to school, why would he be so eager to go back to that when he has all this!?"

"Because he's happy there! Because its where he found himself, its where he found love, can you not comprehend how powerful that feeling is? To find a place you belong to? Being a doctor was never his dream it was yours and you keep trying to push it off on him is only making this worse!"

"I just want him to have more than I did!" Kawano shouted, his voice cracking.

"He already does love, he can be anything he wants to be. It's up to us to make sure he knows that, ok?"

The older man nodded, pinching the bridge of his nose with his fingers as his wife got up and walked over to him and wrapped him in her arms rubbing his back to soothe him.

"We have to make this right." He told her.

"I know." She whispered.

…

As the bullet trained screamed down the tracks, Akira got settled in his seat and prepared to send out the message he had been preparing.

 _Anyone still up?_

One by one the replies came in.

Makoto: _Just doing some studying, everything ok?_

Ryuji: _Just wrapped up a stream, what's up?_

Yusuke: _I was contemplating the cost of a telescope, I'm hoping the stars could provide inspiration for my next piece. Perhaps you could help me consider my options?_

Haru: _I'm in the middle of re-watching 10 Cloverfield Lane, but I can talk :)_

Ann: _I'm still up, just got back from having dinner with my parents before they head off to Milan for the week!_

Akira took a deep breath before sending the rest of his message. He knew he was about to be hit with a flurry of questions.

 _Ok, guys, I have some bad news._

Ryuji: _?_

Makoto: _What's going on?_

Ann: _Is everything Ok?_

Haru: _We'll face whatever it is together!_

Ann: _Between you and Futaba?_

 _Sojiro is the hospital, Futaba just told me. He had a heart attack earlier tonight. I'm not sure how he's doing, but I wanted to let you guys know. I'm on my way now, but I won't be there for a few hours._

Akira quickly sent the address of the hospital Futaba and Sojiro were at before the next wave messages arrived.

Yusuke: _I know where that is, Makoto and I can meet at a station on the way and head there together._

Makoto: _I was going to suggest that myself, good work Fox!_

Haru: _Send me your ETA Akira, I'll have a car waiting at the station to pick you up. If it's late enough here, traffic won't be too bad._

Ryuji: _Ann, let's make our way over to the hospital too. Will you be ready to head out in twenty?_

Ann: _I'm already changing, make it ten. I'm going to let my parents know what's going on._

Ann: _Akira, is Futaba ok?_

 _She's hanging on, but she needs some support._

Makoto: _Tell her we're on the way, I'll call her when we get to the hospital._

 _Ok, will do._

Ryuji: _I'll text her once we're on the way. You should check in with her. Makoto can coordinate us in the meantime._

 _Ok, thanks, buddy. See you soon._

Ryuji: _See yah._

…

Futaba sat in the hospital waiting room, her legs pulled up to her chest. She was tired, so so tired but she couldn't sleep. Every few minutes she would feel the uncontrollable urge to get up and pace around the hospital corridors. How long would it take for them to give her an update? How long was it _supposed_ to take? Was no news good news? The more she wracked her brain, the more she paced. All the while her phone battery continue to drain. She had forgotten her charger at home in the chaos of trying to get Sojiro into the ambulance. She wanted to text Akira, just to talk and get her mind off the current situation, but another part of her wanted to prove herself. She could deal with this on her own, she wasn't the girl trapped in a tomb of her own making. She was a young woman coming into her own who helped the Phantom Thieves steal the hearts of corrupt politicians and sleazy corporate CEOs.

Surely, she could handle this.

When her phone buzzed, she expected it to be him sending him some reassuring words but instead, her phone practically exploded with multiple incoming messages.

Yusuke: _Makoto and I are on the way, but she informs me you might need to meet us at the entrance otherwise they won't let us in._

Haru: _It'll take me a little bit to get there, I'm having my car head over to the train station so it's ready for Akira when he gets here. So, I'll be taking the train to get you._

Makoto: _Are you with Sojiro now? If you are, don't worry about me and Yusuke, we'll find a way to you._

Ann: _I'm waiting for Ryuji to meet me outside his house, but we'll be there in a little bit. Depends on whether or not we catch this last train that takes us right to the hospital. If we miss it, we'll have to take the long way._

Ryuji: _Me and Ann are on the way Futaba, I'm just walking out the front door!_

Akira: _Help is on the way._

Futaba blinked away her tears as she tried to reply to them all. She told Haru not to worry about taking a little longer to get to her and thanking her for sending her car to get to Akira. She teased Ryuji for making Ann wait for him while telling Ann to keep her posted. She told Makoto to call her when she got to the hospital but advised her that her battery was low while thanking Yusuke for the initial update. Which left Akira.

 _Did you wake the whole team up?_

Akira: _The Phantom Thieves never sleep! ;)_

Akira: _To any government spy reading this conversation, that was a joke._

Futaba shook her head and typed out a reply.

 _That'll really throw em off the scent smart one :P_

 _Hey, can you talk?_

Akira: _'Course! Mona says hi, by the way, he wants you to know he wants to give you a hug when we see you. He just requests that he not be crushed._

 _I'll definitely make an effort but can make no promises._

Akira: _He says that'll be enough. Now, what did you want to talk about?_

 _I just need-_

 _I need-_

 _I want-_

 _Can you-_

She huffed in frustration, she was struggling to put it all into words. It was simple really, she just needed him. He needed to be here, with her and then she would feel a lot braver. He was already on his way, but it would be about an hour and a half before he arrived. Maybe even two hours. Her phone was dying, and she was faced with the possibility of fighting her intrusive thoughts alone. A battle she wasn't unfamiliar with, she had done it before, but she wasn't eager to go back to the fight alone. As if he could read her mind, Akira decided to video chat her. She smiled as his features came into focus, he looked tired and her eyebrows furrowed in worry.

"Are you sure you can talk? You looked exhausted. Plus, my phone is low on battery so…"

There was a tap on her shoulder, she looked up hoping to see Sojiro but instead met eyes with a nurse who was offering her a phone charger.

"Are you sure? I don't want to take this from you if you need it." She told her.

"My phone just finished charging, so don't worry." The nurse assured her, handing her the charger before gesturing down the hall. "If you're hungry, the cafeteria is down that hall and to the right. You can't miss it. We'll come get you once we have an update for you."

"Ok, thank you so much…Akira hang tight, I'm going to relocate ok?"

…

Futaba never realized how much Sojiro had spoiled her until she had hospital food. Their curry was pitiful. So much so she hoped they would let her and Akira make him homemade curry and bring it to him. If he caught a whiff of this stuff, he might just die on the spot.

"This stuff tastes like I feel," Futaba grumbled.

"What feeling is that?" Akira asked.

"Blaaaaaaaaah." She replied, rolling her eyes back and sticking her tongue out getting a chuckle from her boyfriend.

"Yeah hospital food isn't great, want me to bring you something?"

Futaba flashed a mischievous grin.

"Fried chicken?"

"That sounds...really good."

"Then that is your mission, should you choose to accept it. Fetch me a bucket of chicken so I may be fed the crunchy wings of the finest poultry like how Cleopatra was fed grapes on the shores of the Nile."

"Why did you just go from Mission Impossible to Assassin's Creed Origins in the same sentence?"

She rolled her eyes.

"Cuz I'm awesome, duh."

Akira chuckled and shook his head as Futaba pushed her sorry excuse for curry away and rested her chin on her arms which were crossed on the table.

"Thank you for staying up with me, means a lot." She told him.

"No worries. Are the others there yet?"

"Not yet no, Makoto is going to call me when she gets here."

"Ok good, I'm almost there."

"Good, cuz I could really use a hug right now."

"Me too."

"I'm worried Akira...they haven't said anything yet."

"That's probably a good thing. If something was really wrong, they would have let you know. They'll probably keep him here for a few days before sending him home with instructions to eat better or something like that."

"I guess you're right, still super scary though."

"I know, I'm scared to. My mind was going a mile a minute when you called me earlier."

"You should have heard him!" Mona chimed in "He went full blown Joker."

"Oooh, you know how much I like you when you're in Phantom Thief mode," Futaba whispered, giving Akira a wink, causing him to blush.

"Maybe I'll have to channel that side of myself more often."

"Oh, please do." She said, laying her head down on the crook her right arm before chuckling to herself.

"Do you remember the night Sojiro found out we were a couple?"

Akira's eyes went wide, and he stared off into the distance like she had just triggered a traumatic flashback.

"How could I forget?"

…

It was the third date the pair had gone on, and Futaba had done her best pull out all the stops. She had worn a nice semi-casual emerald dress with leggings to keep her warm during their jaunt through the chilly evening air. She'd even worn shoes with wedge heels. Akira had insisted on taking her on a proper date, going out to dinner before taking her to see the collection of Egyptian artifacts that were on a global tour, showcasing new discoveries made about the long-lost civilization that many in the west and the east were fascinated with, including Futaba. From their they had planned on taking the train home, getting Futaba back well before her curfew. All had been going according to plan.

Then the train broke down.

"What do you mean the line is closed?" Akira grumbled.

"It's like I keep telling you sir, a train suffered a breakdown at a critical junction. The whole line will be shut down for about an hour. No arrivals, no departures." The station attendant explained.

"Maybe we could catch a cab?" Futaba offered.

"I called them a few minutes ago. They said it's going to be about half an hour to get someone out here. Then we have to worry about traffic. At that point, we might just be better off waiting for the train to reopen." He told her, scratching the back of his head nervously.

"Either way we should let Sojiro know we'll be late. Really late."

"I'm sure he'll understand. Sometimes these things happen." She assured her boyfriend.

"I hope so," Akira muttered. He and Sojiro were getting along a lot better these days but he would prefer to stay on his good side for as long as possible considering now that he knew he was a Phantom Thief.

"I'll call him." She told him, pulling out her phone.

Amongst the hustle and bustle of the Tokyo subway, Akira tried to listen in on the phone call, Futaba must have seen the worry in his eyes because she grabbed his hand and pulled him closer to her, so he could hear the conversation.

"Hello?"

"Heya Sojiro!"

"Hey kiddo, everything ok?"

"Yeah, I'm just calling to let you know the train line is closed. So we're going to be marooned Ueno Park for an hour or so but once the train is back up and running we'll head home right away."

"Well, I could come and grab you two. It's not that far of a drive and I wouldn't mind getting out of the café and going for a drive. Traffic isn't too bad from what I hear. Plus I want to meet this date of yours."

Date?

 _DATE?!_

Akira shot Futaba a _what in the hell is going on_? look which she avoided.

"Are you sure? We'd hate to bother you."

"Nonsense, the café is deserted. So I'll close up early and head over to you guys. Be there in twenty." He told her.

"O-okay! See you then! Bye, drive safe!" She said quickly before hanging up and letting out a long sigh.

"Ooooh boy." She muttered.

"You told him we were on a date? I thought we agreed we would talk to him about us together!" Akira yelped.

"I didn't say the two of us went on a date, but he was asking why I got all dressed up. I told him I was going out on a date. He just told me to have fun and call if I need anything. Then I took the train to Central Street, so I could surprise you at work and, well you know the rest." She told him sheepishly.

Akira had to admit it all made sense. If she hadn't been honest with Sojiro it would have made the inevitable reveal more of an ordeal. Like they were trying to hide something from him and they got caught. Sojiro and Futaba had a strong and open relationship. He knew it was a matter of time before she started dating, so he set a few ground rules like her curfew and no being home alone without boys without letting him know. She loved her surrogate father and respected him greatly, but she wasn't going to let him dictate who she was going to date. Futaba was too strong-willed for that.

"Well I suppose we were going to tell him sooner or later, looks like tonight is the night…sorry I raised my voice." He told his girlfriend.

"It's ok, I know I kind of threw us in the deep end, but we've been in tougher spots than this. It'll probably be a tense car ride home, but we'll be alright." She assured him, giving his hand a quick squeeze.

"You should probably send a message Mona on your laptop though, tell him to prep a Goho-M so that way if Sojiro tries to kill you we can just bail. From there we'll gather the other Thieves and construct a crude suspension bridge to China where we'll all assume new identities."

The absurdity of the scenario produced a hearty laugh from Akira. Futaba felt a sense of pride swell in her chest. So, this was what being a good girlfriend was like. From there the pair headed up to street level, awaiting Sojiro's arrival. Futaba did her best to keep her boyfriend talking, not stewing over the coming confrontation. She had her own concerns sure, but she knew Sojiro. After losing her mom, he just wanted her to be happy, and he never wanted her to feel alone ever again. Even if that meant he could be a bit overprotective at times.

She squeezed his hand a little tighter as Sojiro's car pulled up, the window rolling down as the car came to a stop. Sojiro's expression was warm and welcoming at first but changed to one of confusion before coming to rest at dry anger, like he was trying to line up a headshot through a sniper's scope.

"Hey, Dad!" Futaba said, giving him a wave, still refusing to let go of Akira's hand.

"Let's get you both home," Sojiro replied flatly, unlocking the car's rear doors.

The pair got up in unison and walked over to the car, Akira was sure to open the door for his girlfriend who tried to dissolve the tension by giving her boyfriend a quick curtsey before getting into the car. Akira quickly followed, getting in and putting his seat belt on trying not to make eye contact with Sojiro in the rear-view mirror, but his voice forced him to look up.

"How was your date?" He asked.

Akira decided to speak, this was going to be a long ride home and it would only be awkward if he made it awkward.

"It was fun! Fun fact there's a plesiosaur in there called a Futabasaurus. It's named after a formation up in Fukushima and funnily enough, it was apparently discovered by a high schooler and- "

Sojiro turned around to look the young man dead in the eye, the rest of his words tumbled out of his mouth, rendering them unintelligible. Futaba looked at him with concern and decided to step in. Akira could hear the voice of his old nemesis mocking him from the grave

 _Make peace with you god Akira Kurusu! Mwahahaha!_

"He took me out to dinner too, we had some of the best sushi I've ever had in my life!"

A smirk appeared on Sojiro's face.

"Did he? Good, then I won't need to make you dinner. Instead, he and I can head back to the café and have a nice chat, man to man."

 _"Oh shit."_ Akira thought to himself as the car started to move. On the way back, Futaba did most of the talking while he decided to keep quiet. He and Sojiro would have plenty of time to talk back at Leblanc.

When they got home Sojiro stopped the car in front of their apartment and turned to address Akira.

"I'm going to go park the car. Walk Futaba up and say goodnight, meet me at the café afterward. Got it?"

Akira nodded silently, sitting in stunned silence for a solid minute before Sojiro made a shooing motion with his hand.

"Go on."

Akira nodded again a bit more enthusiastically opening the door and hopping out of the car with Futaba in tow. The two ducked out sight and went up the stairs, stopping in front of the door to her apartment. Once again Futaba made no effort to hide the fact they were holding hands. Once Sojiro drove off, she spun around to face her boyfriend.

"Well that went better than expected." She said with a nervous chuckle.

"Since I'm still alive so I would have to agree." He replied, shifting his weight around uneasily.

"You probably shouldn't keep him waiting."

"Yeah, I know…" Akira replied, his eyes drifting towards Leblanc only for Futaba to put her hands on his face and guided his gaze back towards her.

"Everything is going to be ok. He's just going to do the whole 'treat my daughter right or I'll break your knees' song and dance. Every boyfriend in the world has to go through this."

"What do I say? I don't want to sacrifice my relationship with either you…" Akira muttered.

"You won't have to, Sojiro isn't like that. Trust me ok?"

"Ok…"

Futaba smiled at him and gave him a quick kiss on the lips. His first kiss. _Their_ first kiss. He reached out and put his arms around her waist pulling her towards him. When they parted his heart was racing a mile a minute and her cheeks were bright red, but her smile refused to fade.

"Wow…" He breathed.

"Yeah…wow." She replied with a giggle before sighing contently.

"Thanks for tonight, it was amazing."

"Thanks for being an amazing girlfriend." He told her, his own cheeks likely now a deeper shade of red as he turned to leave. "Good night."

"Night." She replied opening the door to her apartment before turning and giving her boyfriend one last wistful look over her shoulder. He must have felt her gaze shift to him because he quickly turned around to meet her eyes.

"C-can we do that again?"

Futaba nodded and ran towards him and jumped into her boyfriend's arms. This time he took the lead, kissing her with all the passion his heart could muster. She reciprocated and deepened the kiss. They stayed that way for a minute or so before separating. As Akira put her down he chuckled.

"Ok, good night…for real this time."

"Huehue, yeah… good night." Futaba giggled as she made her way back up the stairs while Akira made his way back to Leblanc.

As he walked through the door, he found Sojiro bringing two cups of coffee over to the bar. Almost as if had been anticipating his arrival down to the second. He sat down at the bar, setting one cup down next to him while he sipped from his own cup.

"Come take a seat kiddo." He told him without even looking up.

Akira complied, taking a seat at the bar and taking the cup into his hands. He nervously sipped at the beverage, waiting for Sojiro to start bombarding him with questions. Instead, he turned to face the young man in his company.

"How long have you two been dating?"

"Tonight was our third date." He admitted as Sojiro took a sip of his coffee.

"When did you start having feelings for her?" The older man asked, not a hint of anger in his voice. Akira was confused but happy he wasn't being screamed at.

A smile started to form on the young man's lips. He responded quickly.

"One night she stayed over late, so we could finish up a game we were playing. It's a hard game but it's only one player. so, we take turns playing. When one of us dies the other gets to play until they die and so on. At one point I had my turn for a while and I was starting to get sleepy, so I went to give her the controller when I noticed she had fallen asleep. She was using my shoulder as a pillow and Morgana was passed out in her arms. It was one of those moments that you just…"

"You revisit over and over." Sojiro finished.

Akira nodded.

"Yeah, exactly."

"I had a lot of those moments with Futaba and her mother. I remember one time I convinced Wakaba to take a step back from her work for a day, so we could take Futaba out to the Zoo. When we got there Futaba made a beeline for the elephant exhibit, but she was going so fast, me and Wakaba couldn't keep up. So, she got separated from us. Wakaba went on to the elephant enclosure while I checked other places along the path that led to it. I eventually found her in the aviary. She was sitting on a bench crying her eyes out because she was so scared and I couldn't shoot off a text and let Wakaba know I found her because I didn't have a cell phone at the time, most people didn't, so I went and sat down next to her and gave her a big hug and let her know I was there and that we were going find mom and everything was going to be ok. Eventually, she calmed down and we just sat there for a little bit and watched the birds."

He started blinking back tears and set his coffee.

"This is the part I'll never forget. A beautiful bird comes and lands real close to us. So, she starts talking to it while Wakaba walks into the aviary…and Futaba says, _"Mr. Bird, that's my mom"_ and she, of course, points to Wakaba and then…she points to me and says " _and that's my dad."._ That's when I looked to Wakaba, and she looked to me. She looked at me like no one ever had…I loved that woman, hell I think she might have loved me too."

Now Sojiro looked to Akira who had set down his coffee as well.

"So, believe me when I say that Futaba loves you."

Akira's heart skipped a beat as Sojiro wiped a tear from his cheek and took a sip of his coffee.

"You should have heard this afternoon. She showered and then got all dressed up. The whole time she was singing. Futaba doesn't sing. I've known that girl her whole life and she's never sung for any reason. She hums, sometimes, but she doesn't sing…today she sounded like a beached pilot whale- "

Akira almost choked on his coffee and Sojiro chuckled at his predicament before continuing.

"-but she's happy. You make her so happy, the way she talks about you. How she gets excited about the prospect of going for a ten-minute walk with you. That girl loves you with all her heart, so my last question to you is, do you love her too?"

Akira's eyes widened. He had never been in love. He had no idea what it felt like or how to make sure it was true love he was feeling rather than hormone-driven lust or puppy love. He wanted to say he loved her, hell it felt like the right thing to say. _I am in love Futaba Sakura_ sounded amazing in his head. He wanted to yell it out just hear it, but he resisted the urge.

"I-I think so, but I've never felt like this about anyone else before in my life."

Sojiro put a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

"It's a difficult thing to come to terms with, here's another way to think about it. A few years from now, can you see yourself spending the rest of your life waking up next to someone who…"

"Apparently sings like a beached pilot whale?" Akira finished.

"Yes…because here's the thing kiddo, the stuff you love about them is easy to live with. Their flaws, however, that's another thing entirely. There are going to be days when they drive you up the wall, where you come home from a long day and you're still angry with them after what they said when you last spoke. Those days will be hard because love is hard work, so the question now is, can you see yourself putting in that work for Futaba?"

The answer was obvious now.

"Well yeah of course."

"Then that's your answer. You love her, and she loves you." Sojiro told him before picking up his cup. "Now I need you to promise me something."

Akira looked for him to continue.

"Hold onto her with everything you've got. What you two have is special, most spend their whole lives looking for a connection and never find it. So, you love that girl like there's no tomorrow and when push comes to shove, you fight for her…don't make the same mistakes I did."

"I won't, I promise," Akira assured him.

"Good…good. You're a good kid Akira, I know you'll treat her right. I'll be rooting for you two… So, don't mess this up, or else."

"Wouldn't dream if it," Akira told him with a smile. Now, with the air cleared, the pair finished their coffee in silence. Their thoughts returning to the women who'd stolen their hearts. Fond memories and good coffee kept them warm as fall turned to winter.

…

"You never told me that story. Well, not all the details anyway." Futaba said she wiped a tear from her eye as her screen started to go fuzzy. "Can't believe Sojiro compared to me a whale though."

"I'm pretty sure it was just a test. He probably expected me to defend you or something." Akira assured her as her phone started to buzz.

"Looks like that's Makoto." She said sitting up straight.

"Perfect timing, we are starting to go through the tunnel networks that lead into the city, so I'll probably end up losing signal." He replied.

"Ok, I'll let you go. Try to take a power nap or something ok? I'm worried about you." She chided.

"Ok, ok, I'll try." He replied putting a hand up defensively.

"Make sure he tries Mona!" She said, pointing right at her phone's camera with her index finger.

"You got it!" The cat replied.

"As if he didn't have enough control over my sleep schedule," Akira muttered, playfully rolling his eyes before continuing. "Anyways, see you in a bit. Love you!"

"Love you too." She replied with a weak smile before disconnecting the video chat and answering Makoto's call.

"Heya Queen, you down in the lobby?"

"Yeah, we told them we were here to see Sojiro Sakura but they're given us a hard time."

Futaba squinted as she listened closer.

" _It's no wonder that woman by the entrance fainted, this place is hideous!"_

"Is that Yusuke?" She grumbled.

"Yeah, he's…not pleased with the hospital's aesthetics."

" _Is that PERRYWINKLE?!"_

Makoto was whispering now

"Please come down here before he gets us thrown out."

"On my way, just keep him quiet for like five minutes," Futaba assured her.

"I'll do my best, bye." Her friend replied quickly before ending the call, turning to leave only to find herself face to face with the nurse from earlier.

"Was that a friend or family member?" She asked.

"Family member yeah. They're down in the lobby, I was actually going to give you this charger back before I-"

"Do you want me to go escort them up?"

"Uh no it's ok, I wouldn't want to be a bother besides I could use the walk."

"Are you sure? I figured you might want to see your Dad."

Futaba's eyes watered, and she took a step back.

"You mean he's…"

The nurse smiled and nodded.

"He's awake, and he's stable, however, there are somethings we're going to need to go over with you both within in the next hour."

 **To Be Continued**


	4. Family Emergency Part 2

"How's Mr. Sakura?" Haru's driver inquired. Akira looked over at the man in the driver's seat who earlier had insisted that he sit in the back as it only proper only for the young man to refuse. Akira would have felt odd getting someone who was close Sojiro's age to drive him around Tokyo.

"I'm not sure, to be honest. I haven't gotten any updates from my girlfriend since I got here."

"You're the one dating Futaba, right?" The driver asked.

"Yeah that's right..." he replied, studying the man's features more carefully. Had they met before?

"Sorry, that was probably a little strange. I've driven Futaba and Haru places before while you were away." He jabbed a thumb towards the cab. "Back there you're a common topic of conversation."

"Ah ok, that makes sense."

The driver smiled kindly at the young man

"Your friends, they care about you a lot."

A small smile appeared on Akira's face. His thoughts turned to Futaba. His heart fluttered at the thought of seeing her, even in such a dire situation. He knew having the woman he loved at his side would bolster his courage for what the next few days would bring.

"You look tired, feel free to take a nap if you'd like. Traffic may not be as bad as it usually is, but it'll be awhile before we get there."

"Don't know if I'd be able to sleep. I'm still pretty rattled after everything that's happened." He replied.

The Driver nodded.

"That's fair. I'm just telling you though. Don't worry about making me feel bad if you need to rest. When Haru was in preschool, she talked my ear off until she passed out."

"You've been Haru's driver for that long?"

"Yeah, I've taken her lots of places. Her dad was there when he could be until he got older and busier. I remember when I first took her to Shujin. She talked the whole way there. That's how I could tell she was nervous."

Akira's thoughts turned to Mr. Okumura. One of his biggest regrets as a Phantom Thief was leading the team into the disaster that was the now infamous Okumura Job. He hated to admit it, but the fame got to his head. His whole life he had felt like a disappointment. To his parents. His old flames. His teachers and mentors. The adoration of the public quelled the turmoil in his soul. He was a phantom thief. Stealer of hearts and master of the power of the wild card. He was beloved. He was wanted.

It seemed like they couldn't do anything wrong.

The voice that ran through his head sent a shiver down his spine.

"I saw it in your eyes you know."

Akira looked over to see Aketchi driving the car, he wore his regular attire. a suit and tie with additional white chauffeur gloves and a navy blue chauffeur hat with gold trim.

"Right before you took down Okumura, I came into Leblanc to...check in on you. You had this look in your eyes, like a wolf that had it sights set on the kill. The public outcry for justice reached a fever pitch, they were practically demanding blood and you loved every second of it."

"Your arrogance blinded you. Just like it did when you saved that woman from my father. You thought mommy and daddy would finally be pleased with you. That all your past mistakes would get swept away just like that." Aketchi snapped his fingers and grinned.

"It's funny really. All throughout our lives, we're told we grow. We change. Yet, most of us, make the same mistakes. Over and over and over again. You keep trying to play the hero to gain the respect you feel you deserve, while I tried to turn myself into something, someone so amazing, my father would have to take notice. We've changed so much, you and I, but we find ourselves in the same place yet again."

Aketchi gestured to the car.

"Off you go, rushing to the aid of someone in need. How noble of you but ask yourself this. Are you running towards something, or running away from someone? Is Futaba really the girl of your dreams or is she just someone your using to make yourself feel whole again. Just another girl you'll drop when you realize she can't fill the void left behind by people who, one would think, would always stand beside you. Until your backs were against the wall. Then they threw you out like garbage. Just like me."

Akira was speechless, even Aketchi seemed taken aback by his silence.

"No witty comeback? Huh, that is surprising. It seems victory has dulled your blade and your wit. At least I've been busy. Deep down I guess I still despise you. Maybe it's because you were the one to strike my father down instead of me. Although I suppose I can't complain. You won the game, fair and square. The only thing left for me to do is make my own fun."

He reached behind his head and opened the window that peered into the cab.

"Isn't that right Sakura-san?"

"AKIRA, HELP!" Futaba screamed. The young man turned and look into the rear of the car to see his girlfriend bound in chains. She had a bloody wound on her shoulder and her right eye was heavily bruised. Blood seeped from the corner of her mouth.

"Futaba, hang on I'm gonna- "

Aketchi grabbed him by the shoulder and forced him to sit down in the passenger's seat.

"This is what happens when people like you try to act like a hero. Someone gets hurt. The poor girl's mother started learning a bit too much. So, I killed her. Mr. Okumura, he started to grow a conscious. I killed him too. That poor woman you tried to save, you turned her life into a living hell, but on you march, forever blinded to your self-righteousness. Who has pay next?"

Aketchi turned to face him, revealing a gunshot wound where his right eye should have been.

"Hell, you already killed me."

...

Akira woke with a gasp, startling the man next to him. The young man looks around in confusion while Morgana stared at him with concern.

"Whoa, easy there. You're alright." Haru's driver told him as he took a deep breath.

"Sorry about that." He muttered.

"It's ok...hell of a nightmare you were having I bet. You started thrashing for a minute before you woke up."

Akira blinked a few times, looking around in confusion still.

"When did I fall asleep?"

"I was telling you a story about Haru when you dozed off. I guess you really were tired. All you needed was a bedtime story."

Akira chuckled as the car came to a stop in front of the hospital.

"Sorry I fell asleep on you." He muttered.

"It's ok, after all, you've been through today, you needed the nap." The driver extended his gloved hand.

"I'm Takagi Sotatsu. I make it a point to be on a first name basis with my clients. Especially if they're Haru's friends."

After a briefly hesitating, the young man reached out and shook his hand. Years of his father's ceaseless reminders to be a gentleman dictated his response.

"Akira Kurusu, nice to meet you."

Takagi gave him a friendly nod before Akira gathered his things and began to exit the vehicle.

"When you see Ms. Okumura, just let her know I'm going to grab myself some dinner, but I'll be back here in about half an hour. Just have her call me when she is ready to go home."

"Ok can do, thanks for everything Mister- "

"Ah, you can just use my first name. No need for formalities."

"Ok, well thanks Takagi, see you around!"

Akira closed the door and the car drove off. The young man took a deep breath before heading into the hospital, where Haru was waiting for him. She greeted him with a warm smile before reaching out and embracing him. He hugged her back chuckling slightly.

"Good to see you Noir." He muttered.

"The pleasure is mine Joker." She replied. The two released each other, now wearing serious expressions, but there was a brightness in her eyes that refused to fade.

"How's Sojiro?" Akira asked.

"He's stable, the doctors said he's going to be ok, but I think he's going to need surgery. They're talking to Futaba right now."

Akira studied his friend's face carefully. The bags under her eyes made her look like she hadn't slept in years. The fire in her eyes, much to his surprise, dimmed and the warm smile on her face had a twinge of sadness.

"You ok Haru?"

She looked at him then at the floor, her shoulders sagged and shook her head.

"My dad would have been 40 years old today, and he's gone, and now here I am, praying I don't lose someone else I love."

Akira pulled her back into the hug.

"It's gonna be ok."

Haru pulled away and wiped her eyes, still sniffling.

"I'll be fine, Futaba needs you up on the 20th floor. I'll catch up, I just need a minute to collect myself."

Akira shook his head fiercely.

"I'm not leaving you here by yourself."

That did it, she broke down and fell onto her knees, clutching her stomach as she sobbed.

"I-I'm sorry." She muttered as he pulled her back into a hug. This time she didn't try to push away. She just cried, blubbering apologies to her friend over and over. He did his best to console her, slowly pulling her up onto her feet and guiding her to a nearby bench. After a few minutes, she managed to calm down as Morgana had emerged from Akira's backpack and curled up in the girl's lap.

"Thanks you two...I'm sorry you had to see that."

"You don't have to be a literal ray of sunshine all the time Haru. You know, that right?"

She nodded, and she scratched Mona behind his ears.

"I know, I guess, it's just that...I get so wrapped up in making other people happy. It's easy to just ignore my own needs. As long as I'm helping others, I don't need to worry about my own problems. It's kind of liberating in a way."

"I can understand that, but don't forget to ask us for help every now and then, if you need it of course."

Haru took a deep breath, nodding and looking to her friend.

"Futaba is lucky to have you." She told him, still wearing her sad smile.

Akira smiled softly, a pang of guilt ringing in his chest. He knew how much Haru had liked him, how much she still liked him, but he had his choice and she respected his choice, no matter how hard it had been for her. He would always appreciate that.

"Ready to head upstairs?"

All traces of sadness vanished as Haru put on her Noir face. She nodded firmly and they both stood to leave.

…

The Thieves were reunited in the hallway outside of Sojiro's room. Futaba was doing the best to summarize what the doctor had told them just a few minutes ago. Morgana kept only his ears poking out of Akira's bag, listening in as best as he could.

"I guess he's going to need some kind of surgery. The doctor says it's pretty high risk but it's the best course of action to prevent another heart attack. Sorry, I'm probably not explaining this too well."

"You're ok," Akira assured her.

"Did they say what the procedure was called?" Makoto asked.

"Yeah but I forgot it already, I should have written it down," Futaba replied.

"So, when are they putting him under?" Ryuji asked.

"Twenty minutes, they're gonna let us visit him beforehand after that we'll have to leave. They can't let visitors stay overnight and even if they could he won't be ready to wake up until tomorrow afternoon."

"They're moving quite fast on this, it must be imperative to Sojiro's recovery that they keep their timetable. We should visit with him now; the details can always wait until later."

"Yusuke is right. Let's go see Boss and resume this conversation another time." Morgana chimed in, drawing the confused gaze of a passing nurse. Ryuji quickly moved to explain the sound away, taking his phone out.

"Oh man, my girlfriend just had to insist on having a cute notification sound didn't she." He grumbled, shaking his head at the imaginary text message. The nurse, apparently satisfied with the explanation, continued down the hall. Ann seemed impressed by the feat.

"That was pretty slick Ryuji, for you."

"I have my moments…hey, wait a minute…"

"Alright, everyone ready to head inside?" Akira asked, eager to avoid a sass standoff that would cost them valuable time.

"Yeah, let's go!" Morgana exclaimed.

Futaba nodded and opened the door, allowing everyone to file inside with Akira heading in last, taking his girlfriend's hand into his own. She squeezed his hand tight as Akira wincing at the state the man that was essentially his adoptive father was in. Sojiro's eyes were barely open and he was hooked up to a surprisingly complex array of medical equipment. His breath was labored and his face pale. He turned his head to look at his visitors and a small smile appeared on his face.

"So, this is what it takes for you all to come see me eh?" He teased before focusing on Akira.

"Staying outta trouble kiddo?

"More or less," Akira said with a sly playful smile.

"Well, I'm sorry to report that I won't be able to make you all curry tonight. Coffee is a no go too. Looks like you'll need to take care of dinner for Futaba tonight."

"Well, actually he already did. He brought me fried chicken." Futaba told him, holding up an almost empty take out box.

"Mmmm, that smells good. Can I have some?"

"No! When you get home, you're eating nothing, but baked chicken and kale shakes for a month. Plus, whatever else the doctor tells me to make you!" Futaba chided.

"Kale shakes? Ugh, kill me now."

"Sorry, no can do," Haru told him. "I still need my teacher, and the rest of us still need our coffee dad."

"Fine," Sojiro said with a joking huff before his face scrunched up in confusion.

"Akira, how'd you get here anyway? Makoto give you a ride?"

"No, Haru sent a car for me. I owe her one."

"Ah I see, was it that Takagi fellow?"

"Actually yeah!

Sojiro just nodded.

"Pretty sure I've met him before…"

There was a brief silence before he looked to Futaba with concern.

"What time is it?"

"It's pretty late, almost midnight."

"You all should get to bed…you can stay at the house if you'd like. I think the company will be good for Futaba, she's not used to being on her own at night."

"Dad, I'll be ok. I've grown up a lot lately, I can be on my own for a night or two."

"Well, I just think you should be with people who are close to so that if I…so if something goes wrong you won't…"

"Hey, hey, don't talk like that. You're going to be ok." Akira scolded him.

"Yeah, you'll wake up tomorrow feeling good as new. I just know it." Makoto assured him.

"We'll come visit you as soon as you wake up, not like we have school tomorrow anyways," Ryuji added.

Akira watched Yusuke's eyes move from Sojiro to the door, then he felt a tap on the shoulder. It was the nurse from earlier.

"I'm sorry but we'll need to ask you all to leave so we can administer the anesthesia. We'll keep in contact with Ms. Sakura as we move forward." She explained quietly before stepping back outside.

Akira nodded and turned to the group.

"All right everyone, we gotta clear out. Doctors have to go to work."

"That was fast…but it was good to see you," Yusuke said with a warm smile.

"Yeah definitely! I'm so glad you're alright." Ann chimed in.

"Quick, group hug!" Futaba demanded, prompting the Thieves to close in on Sojiro and wrap him gently in their arms as best they could.

"Perfect!" Mona said, hopping out of Akira's bag and into Sojiro's lap, nuzzling his chest with a mighty purr.

"You brought Morgana too? Sojiro asked

"'Course! I bring him everywhere." Akira replied.

Reluctantly they all retreated from the room after holding Sojiro in their collective embrace for a solid minute but just as Akira turned to follow Futaba out the door, Sojiro grabbed his hand with surprising firmness.

"Wait…I need to talk to you…alone."

Akira nodded and motioned for Futaba to go on ahead before turning back to look at Sojiro who had tears welling up in his eyes.

"Sojiro…"

"I need you to promise me something. If anything happens to me, promise me you'll take care of her…"

Sojiro had always made an effort to hide large outburst of emotions from him in the past, but in his weakened state he couldn't help but let the tears flow. His voice was shaky with fear, Akira was shocked. He had never seen his surrogate father like this before.

"Nothing is going to happen to- "

Sojiro scowled, sitting up so he could look at Akira head on and dead in the eyes.

"Promise me." He said firmly.

The young man sighed before nodding.

"I promise."

Sojiro sighed and reclined himself.

"Good good…now listen…there's something I need to get off my chest."

"What is it?"

"Do you remember how I said that Futaba never had a father."

"Yeah, vaguely. You said you had never met him."

"Right right, well…that wasn't true. I have met him. Hell, I know him very well."

"You do?"

"Yeah, he used to work in my department back when I worked for the Government. That's how the three of us met. We were a lot like you and your friends, more alike then you'd think."

Sojiro cleared his throat before sighing.

"Anyway…that man has gotten back in touch with me back in December when you still lived with me. He wants to reconnect with Futaba. Despite my warning against it, he's determined to be her father. Why now of all times, I have no idea, but I want you to be ready in case he strolls into Leblanc one day. The good thing is you've already met him. His name is Takagi Sotatsu."

Akira's eyes widened.

"Haru's driver?"

"Precisely."

Akira took a deep breath before asking the obvious question.

"Does Futaba know?"

"No, not yet. I've been planning to tell her for a while. Tonight, was a wakeup call. I shouldn't be keeping things from her. So, when I come home, I will let her know."

"Sojiro I can always- "

"No, this is my burden to bear, not yours. I just wanted to let you know ahead of time, just in case- "

"Sir! You need to wrap up, we've got to get this procedure underway." The nurse barked from the doorway.

Akira nodded and looked to Sojiro.

"We'll talk about this more tomorrow." He told him before turning to leave.

"You and Futaba behave yourselves." He teased as the young man passed through the doorway and walked off down the hall.

…

Sae agreed to pick Makoto, Akira, and Futaba up and take them to Youngen after stopping at their apartment for Makoto to grab her overnight bag while the others hitched a ride with Haru to stop at their respective homes for their own supplies before heading to the Sakura house.

After arriving home, Futaba took Akira into her room while Makoto stepped back outside to update her sister and say good night. The red-headed girl wrapped her arms around her boyfriend and choked back a sob while he held her as tight as he dared, running a hand through her hair in an attempt to soothe her.

"I-I-I..." she mumbled only for Akira to gently shush her.

"It's ok its ok, just breathe." He told her, causing her to take a long breath her tiny frame shaking as her lungs rattled in her chest. Now she was crying, but it was unlike anything he had ever heard from her before. She had called crying before after a panic attack or a bad day at school. Those days she would fumble through sentences while sniffing, a few tears streaking down her face. She had called after nightmares, eyes red and wiping her tears away with her shirt sleeve while sleepily staring at his pixelated face on her laptop.

Now she was weeping, heartbroken sobbing that could only come from someone who had been pushed to their limit. Her body shook as she clung to her boyfriend, almost as if she feared he was going to disappear. Every few minutes she would take a deep breath or rather several rapid ones before continuing. Each shaky gasp hurt Akira's heart more than anything he had seen in the Metaverse, save for the murals in Futaba's palace.

For the first time, the indomitable Joker had nothing. No infiltration tools. No master plan. No 11th-hour superpower to save his little-chosen family.

All he had was his heart and two scrawny arms.

Except Futaba already had his heart, so he let her have his arms for the time being. After several minutes, she started to calm down, her breathing becoming more stable as she gently released him from her death grip, the place where her hands gripped his shirt left a cluster of scrunched up and wrinkled fabric. While there was a pair of damp spots on chest from where she had used all the tears she had.

"D-dad." She whimpered, her gaze shifting down to the floor. "I can't lose you too."

Akira wanted to pull her back into his arms and tell her everything was going to be alright, but he had his doubts. Tonight had been an emotional roller coaster for sure, and there was still more to come tomorrow. Plus, there was the unknown quantity.

Futaba's biological father. He didn't dare call him her real father. Sojiro would always hold that title, but the young man wasn't sure what to think. His heart stirred with so many emotions he was having difficulty sorting through them all. For the time being, the issue would have to be put on the back burner.

Makoto's voice startled him from his trance.

"Everything ok you two?"

Futaba took another shaky breath and looked at her friend.

"I-I just can't cry anymore."

Makoto frowned and walked over giving her friend a big hug.

"I'm so sorry."

Futaba just hugged her back loosely.

"Thanks for being here."

"Of course, thank you for having me."

Makoto released the younger girl and looked to Akira.

"Wanna get set up in the living room?"

Akira nodded and gathered his things as there was a knock on the door. Futaba went to let their friends in, Makoto and Akira set about moving furniture around to make room for the others.

…

The Thieves had carefully positioned themselves in the living room, although it was roomier than expected it was still a little small for this many people. Futaba and Akira were on the floor using a two-person sleeping bag in the center of the group, Morgana was sprawled out on top of Futaba's chest, purring as she scratched him behind the ears.

Makoto was on the couch, resting her head on her pillow and curled up into a little ball underneath a fleece blanket that had the Tokyo Police Department Insignia on it. She watched Futaba and the others with concern likely she was keeping herself up in case the others needed something, but Akira could tell she was exhausted.

Ryuji and Ann were by Akira and Futaba's heads, laying in their own single person sleeping bag, Ryuji was on his phone updating his social media accounts, apologizing for the canceled twitch stream of LA Noire. His fans, by the sound of it, were quite understanding of the situation and sent their well wishes to Sojiro, who Ryuji had renamed Boss for anonymity. Ann was bundled up in her sleeping bag, staring at the ceiling in silence as she listened to her music with one earbud out, occasionally responding to a text from Shiho, who wanted to be kept in the loop as much as possible or mumbling the lyrics to one of her songs.

Haru and Yusuke lay by Akira and Futaba's feet. Haru was laying on her stomach reading through the Necronomicon with a gloomy expression on her face. Meanwhile, Yusuke was propped up in the corner of the room with his blanket draped over him, his pencil gliding over his sketchbook. He too looked tired, but Akira knew that when Yusuke was troubled, he drew. His hands could never be idle, no matter what was on his mind.

Futaba was cuddled up to Akira, going through pictures she had taken with Sojiro over the years.

Occasionally she would chuckle softly or shake her head with a huff and show the picture to Akira before explaining the story behind the picture. Underneath the covers she used her index finger to trace patterns on his open hand, sleepily drawing out hearts, swirls and at one point the Triforce. Once he noticed that one, he smiled softly at her as her violet eyes met his. Her finger moved up to his forearm and she started tracing out a message.

I-L-O-V-E-U

Akira's heart melted, and he extended his free hand to reply.

L-O-V-E-U-2

Futaba smiled and him and nuzzled into his chest as she traced out her response.

4-E-V-E-R?

Akira just nodded, and she sighed with a trace amount of happiness in her exhale. Her hand returned to randomly doodling, only for it to suddenly stop over a seemingly random point on his forearm. She ran her finger around the area a few times, slower and slower each time. Akira stifled a chuckle because of how much it tickled. His girlfriend looked up at him with confusion and concern. She tapped the center of the area before drawing out a question mark before silently asking

Scars?

Akira looked at her and mouthed: tell you later. Futaba furrowed her brow but relented, she didn't want to press the issue. Not tonight. She just went back to going through her pictures, before her eyes drifted up to the time on her phone.

2:30 AM

"Please be ok..." she whispered.

"Anything?" Ryuji asked, breaking the glum silence.

"Nope," Futaba replied.

"It must be a complex procedure. We may be awake for some time." Yusuke offered. "I won't be able to sleep so if you all are tired, I'm more than willing to stay up and wait for the call."

"As tired as I am I won't be able to sleep either. Not until I know what's going on." Makoto mumbled, yawing afterward.

"Same," Ryuji replied.

"They didn't give you any details on how long it would take?" Ann asked turning over onto her stomach to look at Futaba, who shook her head.

"They said it's hard to put an estimate on it. Sometimes they can fly through it, other times it takes longer. We'll just have to be patient I guess."

"I can always go make some coffee for you guys. Won't take long." Akira offered, only for Haru to shake her head.

"No no, you two look too cozy to disturb. If anyone is going it'll be me." Haru told them.

"Coffee does sound good," Yusuke mumbled as Makoto sat up, stretching her arms.

"I'll go with Haru to make coffee, I could use the walk."

"Alright, show of hands who wants coffee," Haru asked.

Everyone's hand shot up, except Ryuji who looked to Makoto and Haru

"Can you bring me some soda instead?"

"Sure!" Makoto replied as she walked over to Haru's spot as she stood up before the pair made their way to the door. leaving just Yusuke, Ryuji, Morgana and Ann with Futaba and Akira. The redheaded girl pulled the cover back on the sleeping bag, looking closely at her boyfriend's arm. She noticed three long scars running over the top of a vein on his arm. The scars looked old, but the distinctive shade of scar tissue contrasted with his skin. Futaba ran three fingers down the length of his scars, looking up to him for answers. He just frowned and made a slashing motion over the old wound before rolling onto his back and pulling up the sleeve on his shoulder to reveal a cluster of scars. Futaba just shook her head with sadness and planted a kiss on the scars before pulling his sleeve down and resting her head against his shoulder, and taking his hand into hers, prompting a chuckle from Morgana.

"Do we need to leave you two alone for a bit?"

"Shuddup Mona," Futaba grumbled before turning to Akira and pointing at him sternly and mouthing: later. Prompting to Akira nod in confirmation. Then Futaba's phone rang, making her jump with a yelp. She jumped out of the sleeping bag and answered the call, heading to her room to take it as everyone else sat up while Makoto and Haru walked back in from Leblanc.

"We're back!" Haru said with a smile, prompting Yusuke to gently shush her.

"I believe the doctor has just called. Futaba is in her room."

"Oh!" Makoto said, looking to the group nervously.

Everyone was shifting nervously as they tried to listen in on the phone call. After what seemed like an eternity, Futaba came out with her phone in her hand and tears in her eyes. Akira slowly stood up, making his way over to her. His eyes met hers as she crashed into him wrapping her arms around him and dropping her phone.

"He's gonna be ok." She sobbed. The Thieves cheered, the drowsy Makoto was jumping up and down, hugging Haru as she did so. Yusuke was on his feet with a big smile on his face, laughing as Ryuji walked over and put an arm around him. Across the room, Ann had scooped up Morgana and gave him the biggest hug she could muster. Akira knew if cats could blush Morgana would be bright red. Meanwhile, Futaba and Akira just held each other, Futaba was beaming at him as Haru and Makoto passed out the coffee.

"I purpose a toast." Yusuke declared.

Everyone nodded and gathered in a circle in the center of the living room, raising their mugs into the air. Akira put his arm around Futaba as Yusuke allowed Morgana to hop up onto his shoulder. Makoto and Haru looked at each other and smiled as Ann linked arms with Ryuji.

"What are we toasting to Joker?" Morgana asked.

Akira smiled and his girlfriend and then the rest of his friends.

"To our family. The best one I could ask for."

They brought their mugs together with a cheer and the rest of the night was filled with good coffee and the hopes for a bright future.

…

Akira wasn't sure how long he had slept for, but he woke up feeling quite odd. As he sat up, he realized he was had woken up in Leblanc. Had that all been a dream? As he got out of bed, he noticed it was still dark outside and that he was clad in a familiar black trench coat.

"What in the hell…" He muttered before hearing conversation downstairs. Cautiously he reached for where he knew he kept his dagger but found that it wasn't in its sheath.

"Great…" He whispered before creeping down the stairs. The lights in the café were dimmed except for the ones that were over the bar where coffee was prepared and one booth. The booth that the Phantom Thieves had used once upon a time to plan their heists.

Now it was occupied by a familiar longed nose man who smiled fondly at the young man. The little girl in the blue dress working behind the bar smiled as well and motioned for him to come down the stairs and join them in the darkened café. As he reached the bottom of the stairs, Igor spoke.

"Hello, my favorite trickster, welcome back to the Velvet Room. Come and sit down. We have much to discuss."

…

A.N-Bet you're all wondering what this is all about! Well, you'll have to wait until next time to see! Sorry, I've been away for so long, life has been a bit hectic as of late. I hope this chapter more than makes up for my absence. Looking forward to seeing your speculation and theories. Until next time my dear readers!


	5. Echoes

There were times in the past and even in the present when Akira wondered if he really knew Igor. The Igor who sat across from him in the booth had a warmness to him, but it did not detract from the mystery that surrounded him. His eyes were wide as if they trying to absorb every single detail they could and the way he leaned towards Akira showed him to be an active listener rather than a God of Control bored with his toy.

The 'Igor' he had known during his time as Joker was one that exuded the aura of a warden. Cold, distant, and cared little for excuses as to why Akira's rehabilitation was proceeding at a glacial pace. The god in disguise had chastised him not making his development as a Thief a priority and at one point, near the end of their relationship, even criticized his decision of forming a relationship with Futaba.

A comment Akira had not taken kindly too.

...

The Leader of Phantom Thieves sat in his cell, hands chained together and staring at the floor with a scowl. Across the room, Igor sat in his desk, studying him, like an agitated paternal figure trying to figure out how to punish an insubordinate child.

"You have failed me Trickster." He growled. "Ruin will soon fall upon humanity."

Akira seethed, the gears in his head were turning now. Out of all the interactions he had shared with Igor, one aspect stood out.

"Welcome to MY Velvet Room."

Akira locked eyes with his mentor.

"So, is this about you or is this about saving humanity? Because it seems we might not be on the same page about that anymore."

'Igor' seemed surprised by his tone. Even the twin wardens were caught off guard by the comment, but just as Justine scowled and raised her cane to strike the bars, the master of the Velvet Room raised his hand.

"There's no need for that." He chided.

"B-but Master!" She protested.

"I will deal with this. His rehabilitation is my responsibility as well." He told her, standing up and putting both hands on his desk, leaning forward, his signature smile wavering ever so slightly.

"This, all of this, is far bigger than you and your thieving. This isn't about justice. This isn't about society. It's never been about such fickle ideals. Justice is a word that's thrown around like a ball. It's meaning lost in the sea of human emotion. It might as well be nothing. The society you've tried so desperately to save, even they have resigned themselves to the injustice that is so pervasive across the world. All that matters is assuring that order prevails over chaos, lest the world come to ruin."

"You were humanity's last chance trickster, but if they will not follow you, then they are more lost than I had feared. Perhaps if you had taken a different approach, things could have been different. Unfortunately, now the burden of saving this world from ruin falls to me. Order will prevail, no matter the cost."

'Igor' walked towards the cell as Justine and Caroline opened his cell door and dragged him out towards the center of the room.

"Different approach? What the hell are you talking about?" Akira snarled, now getting onto his feet.

"You surround yourself with outcasts and broken souls whose spirits are rife with mankind's worst vices. Ryuji struggles to control the wrath that cost him his place of belonging. Makoto drowns in envy, longing for the praise and admiration that her sister receives through her hard work. The cat Morgana is epitome of greed, fawning over trinkets and bobbles as if he found something truly spectacular. Seeking only to further his own desires to become something he can never be. Then there is your lover, Futaba. She surrendered her spirit to sloth, festering in her own misery, refusing to accept the truth that her heart dared to hold onto. From this weakness, she almost took her own life-"

"Enough!" Akira snapped, the chains that bound him shattering as he dawned his signature Phantom Thief attire and Arsene emerging from the column of blue fire that erupted from the floor behind him, wings spread and clawed hands ready to strike at their true enemey.

Igor just laughed "-and last but not least, there is you trickster. Pride has swallowed your heart, arrogance drips from every action, every word, and poisons your mind ad your body. All because you refuse to accept your fate. You have lost this game, and now…your life is forfeit."

"That's where you're wrong Igor. We're all human, even Morgana is, somewhere deep down. Ryuji gets angry, Makoto gets jealous, and even Futaba got trapped in her head for a little while. But she got stronger because of that, and now she's stronger than she's ever been. Her mom would be proud of how far she's come. I know I am, I fall in love with her a little more with each day because of that. So, before you start accusing me of arrogance, consider this. You think you got us all figured out, our backs are against the wall with no choice but to roll over and accept ruin, but the Phantom Thieves don't quit, we never have and we're not about to start now. Do not underestimate us, because I promise that if you do, you'll be in for one hell of last surprise!"

"Very well trickster." 'Igor' snarled as Akira lunged forward with Arsene leaping into the air, his clawed hands aglow with the crimson and black of a curse attack. With a gasp Justine and Caroline summoned their own personas and sicked them on Arsene while they jumped in front of the Phantom Thief to intercept his charge.

The rest was history.

…

"I suppose you have a great many questions about all this." Igor purposed as Lavenza took a seat by Akira, her request for him to scoot over bringing him back to the present.

"Yeah, honestly I don't know where to begin." The young man replied.

"I'll start I suppose. Firstly, I must commend you on your growth. That dark gloomy prison was never my favorite incarnation of this place. I'm quite glad to be rid of it. This café is much nicer."

"So, the Velvet Room changes depending on cognition?"

"In a way yes, I've seen it take a thousand forms. Once it was an elevator, another a limousine, and most recently, a prison and now, here. It would seem your journey is not complete Akira Kurusu."

"I thought the metaverse was gone, how could you, no offense I'm happy to see both of you, still be alive?"

"The Velvet Room itself is different, sperate from the Metaverse at large but still close to it. Until the Metaverse collapsed anyway. Now it exists in a vacuum of sorts. Waiting for something else to connect to it. Once that happens, I'm sure we'll have another guest in short order."

"Until then, we may still visit you from time to time as you conclude your journey. There are still somethings that you may need to attend to." Lavenza explained.

"Like what?"

Igor looked to the table for a brief second before returning his gaze to Akira and Lavenza

"I have sensed that pockets of the Metaverse still exist and there are some who look to use it in order to forward their own agenda. You must be on your guard, your time as a Phantom Thief is not yet concluded."

"Pockets like Palaces? Or chunks of the Mementos, like floors we didn't go to? I need some details here." Akira insisted.

"Pockets may be an inadequate word. If I were to put it into terms you could comprehend, it would be an echo of sorts. You see, your work as the Phantom Thieves left an impression not just on your friends, but on the public. The machinations of the God of Control and the players of his twisted game left an impression in all our minds. From those impressions come the echoes, the Metaverse still exists. Fractured, distorted and unstable but still very much a part of this world. Those who know of its power move to recreate it or worse, find something much more frightening to turn against their fellow man." Igor said with a tired sigh.

"Humans are a vexing bunch."

"Agreed." Lavenza muttered.

"I'm so sorry to tell you this. After everything you have been through, the last thing you must want to hear is that there is more strife to come." Igor said sadly.

"If there are people moving against to use the Metaverse for evil, the Phantom Thieves will do whatever we can. That's a promise." Akira assured the mysterious man. He didn't think it was possible with such a grin, but the man's smile widened, and a warmness radiated from it.

"You were right Lavenza, we are lucky to have this one our side. I can only hope our bond will strengthen from here. I will call you here when I have better ascertained the situation. Until then, warn your allies. There is no telling where our new foe will strike first."

Akira nodded as room around him started to fade away.

"Igor, one last question, why Leblanc?"

"The Velvet Room reflects that state of the heart. Last spring you felt trapped, left to face the grim reality of your situation alone. You felt as if a criminal was all you could be, but now that you are free, you came home. A home with a family. A place where you can be anything. No matter what happens, remember this, the heart always finds its way home, where it belongs."

…

Akira's eyes slowly opened to see Futaba curled up against him, her forehead gently resting against his. Her red hair was a mess, part of it was draped splayed on the pillow they happened to be sharing while another section was draped over his face, giving them a bit of privacy. Her hair smelled like lavender, one of his favorite flowers. He quickly noticed she was wearing the sweater he had worn on the train. It was a black pullover adorned with the orange technical schematic of the Sidewinder. The starter ship from Elite Dangerous. A game the pair played quite frequently. Akira chuckled softly as he noticed that in her sleep, his girlfriend had lifted her leg up and rested it on it on his hip while her other leg was entangled with his underneath the covers. She had one arm wrapped him, hand resting under the sleeve of his t-shirt. He hoped she hadn't been studying his scars when he had been asleep. Her other arm was reaching upwards away from them, likely still holding her cell phone. Judging by the absence of Ryuji's earth-shattering snoring, Yusuke's muttering or a sleepwalking Haru trying to water nonexistent plants, he assumed they were alone. He craned his head to look towards the kitchen, noting the time on the stove.

10:15 AM.

However, he cursed under his breath as Futaba stirred, his movement likely having woken her up. He smiled as her eyes slowly opened meeting his own before she sighed contently.

"Hey pretty boy." She whispered. "Sleep ok?"

"Mhmm, you?"

"Yeah, I've been leaching your heat all night so I'm one cozy girl."

"Good I'm glad." Akira said, playfully shaking his head.

"I'm glad your glad."

There was a brief silence between them before she shut her eyes again for a few seconds.

"Are the others up?"

"Yeah, I think they went off to have breakfast."

"Traitors." Futaba pouted.

"Probably Mona's idea."

Futaba nodded and started to sit up, pulling away from him.

"Probably, alright let's-"

Akira gently pulled her back towards himself.

"Hang on a sec, you're looking way too beautiful this morning." He told her, rolling her onto her back and gently laying on top of her. Her hair parted and lay strewn across the blankets like a shimmering fire.

"Oh really? You're not looking too bad yourself. Come 'ere you." She told him, putting a hand on the back of his neck and pulling him down to her. They shared a long sleepy kiss before Akira pulled away, resting his head on her chest and closing his eyes, listening to her heart pitter and patter as she played with his hair. He smirked to himself, feeling quite satisfied that he could still get his girlfriend's heart racing.

"We really should get up." She chided as he wrapped his arms around her, feeling particularly lazy this morning.

"Five more minutes?" He asked.

Futaba sighed.

"I love you, but no, I apologize in advance for this."

"Apologize for-"

Before he could finish, Futaba rolled the two of them onto their sides and brought her feet up, shoving them under the bottom of his shirt and pressing them firmly against his skin. Akira screeched as her ice cold feet robbed him of all his warmth. He had lived through more Mabufudyne attacks than he could count, but this? This might kill him. This was hell.

He sprang out from their sleeping bag and distanced himself from his girlfriend, who was cackling like a hyena. His eyes asked the same question as countless personas he had sent to the guillotine to be fused, the same question many shadows asked before being annihilated by an all-out attack: Why?

Futaba, being the most adorkable woman on the planet, had an answer.

"Akira! I huuuuunger!"

…

In his hurry to warm his body after being forced from his cocoon on the living room floor Akira had forgotten to grab a shirt from his travel bag, which sat in his girlfriend's room. He emerged from the bathroom in a cloud of steam and walked towards Futaba's room he gave the door a quick knock, and she quickly responded.

"It's open. The hospital called a little while ago and said Sojiro is doing well and can come home in a few days but we have to- " She began as Akira entered, slowly turning her chair around to see her shirtless boyfriend and was initially caught of guard only to bite her lower lip ever so slightly and give him a quick up and down. She must have been a bit too obvious about her enjoyment of the sight because he chuckled softly at her gawking.

"Do you wanna take a picture? It'll last longer." He told her, causing her cheeks to turn bright red.

"As awesome as that would be, I prefer the real thing. We need to make sure we go the beach as much as we can this summer."

"Noted." He replied, throwing a shirt on a little too fast for Futaba's liking He noticed her not so subtle pout and laughed.

"Do you want a do over or…"

"No no, if I see that again I'm just gonna start making out with you and then we're never gonna get out of here." She told him, getting up out of her chair and gently grabbing his wrist and pulling it towards her, turning his arm over to look at his scars.

"Let's get serious for a minute though. Can we talk about these?" She asked.

"They aren't recent, are they?"

Akira shook his head and forced a smile.

"I got them venturing through your palace-"He began only for Futaba to shake her head and blush.

"No no, seriously Akira. No cheese. I'm being serous. Are you ok?"

Her boyfriend nodded.

"Yeah, these are from a long time ago."

"Really?" She winced, her brow scrunching up as she revisited some of their lengthier conversations from when they first started dating.

"I don't remember you telling me about this."

"I didn't…I'm sorry." He muttered.

"It's ok, I know it's not the easiest thing to talk about. I just wanna make sure you are ok."

"I am, and I feel like you should know, so we can talk about it." He explained, taking a seat on her bed as she moved from her computer chair to sit next to him.

"After I got that assault on my record, things got bad at home. Really bad. My dad's practice was almost shut down thanks to Shido. My mom couldn't get away from the rumors that I had threatened to kill Shido or hurt the woman that was there that night. Some of the rumors even had us trade roles. My parents started fighting about what to do with me, the rest of my family kind of just stopped talking to me. Every day I just woke up and starred in the mirror at this broken kid who could have everything anyone could ever want, and somehow, he blew it. I hated looking in that mirror. I got so mad one day I just punched it as hard as I could. The glass shattered, and my knuckles were all cut up but it wasn't enough. I felt like I had to pay for all the hell I was causing. So…"

He took a shaky breath.

"…I carved the date of that night into my arm. It was really painful, and blood got everywhere but I did it because I felt like I deserved it. I tried to make this brand for myself just, so everyone would realize that I knew I screwed up and turn their anger towards me. Not to my family. Not long after, my parents told me I was going to spend a year on probation in Tokyo. You know the rest."

Futaba was speechless as her eyes turned to the scars. They did form a date but just barely. She figured he hadn't exactly made a clean cut across all the numbers, she would have never pieced the meaning together otherwise.

"Sorry I never told you." He mumbled.

"It's ok, I can understand why you wouldn't want to talk about it." She replied, gently grabbing his hand.

"If you are ever that upset with yourself again you call me, I don't care what time it is or if you're down the street in Leblanc or on the other side of the country. I will be there with you as soon as I can. Got it?"

Akira nodded, and Futaba gently smiled at him.

"Anything else you want to talk about while we're alone?" She asked.

Akira's thoughts drifted to his time in the Velvet Room. He knew he had to warn his friends but after everything that had happened the previous night, he wanted to give them some time to recover. His thoughts then turned to the text he had gotten while they were driving to Leblanc last night.

"I should warn you about my parents. They said they're coming for the next week or so. They want to meet you and Sojiro and the others. Make sure we're all doing ok."

"Really? That's really nice of them." Futaba said with a hopeful smile.

"I don't buy it. They're up to something. I can't even fathom what though."

"What makes you say that?"

Akira scratched the back of his head and sighed, prompting Futaba to scoot a bit closer to him and squeeze his hand a bit tighter.

"When I got back, my parents weren't particularly keen on hearing about all of my experiences in Tokyo. Especially my Dad, he just wanted to forget about it and move on. My mom was a bit more receptive after the first couple weeks, she got really excited when I told her about you, but me talking about my time living with Sojiro makes her kind of uncomfortable."

"Maybe she feels bad about everything happened?" The redheaded girl purposed.

"Maybe…" Akira muttered, his gaze now fixated on the floor.

"When are they gonna be here?"

"Later tonight, they want take the two of us out to dinner."

"Sounds simple enough." Futaba replied.

"With my Dad its never that simple, he's going to grill you on everything. School, hobbies, career outlook. To be honest it's going to be more like a job interview than a night out."

"Or a really hard boss fight, me thinks?" His girlfriend said with a mischievous grin.

"Yeah, one that'll make Ornstein and Smough look like a picnic."

"Pffft, easy. I beat those two with three Estus Flasks. Remember?"

"I still can't believe you pulled that off."

"I still can't believe you doubted me!" She exclaimed jumping up from her spot on the bed and going into an exaggerated slouch and shoving her hands into her pockets with a huff.

"Oh Taba, there's no way you can beat those two with only three flasks." She grumbled in a deep voice that made her boyfriend laugh.

"I do not sound like that!"

"You totally sound like that!" She teased, straightening her posture briefly before reverting to her impression.

"Oh my gosh Taba, I can't believe you only beat those two with only three flasks. How'd you do it? Oh yeah there this thing called parrying! I should learn how that works instead of trying to use the wood grain ring in conjunction with plate armor!"

"Parrying's cheap!" Akira protested, now he was up on his feet looming over the smaller girl. She stomped her foot and shook her head in response.

"It's a game play mechanic you overgrown bamboo stalk!" She exclaimed. Akira narrowed his eyes and scooped her up.

"That's it, you're getting tickled!"

"No no! Akira, we just showered!" She said in between fits of laughter as her boyfriend gently chucked her onto the bed and started his attack. She quickly surrendered, and he allowed her to get up off the bed and grab her glasses, which had fallen off her face when he had picked her up.

"As I was saying, if I can take down the infamous duo of Pikachu and Snorlax with three estus flasks and zero emotional support from my boyfriend, I think I'll can handle your dad." She panted, as Akira smiled and shook his head. "I might have to pack my Varia Suit in case things get ugly, I don't think it'll come to that, but I'd rather be prepared!"

"What about the zero suit?" Akira asked with a smirk.

"That's for after the mission, pretty boy. You'll need to come out of this boss fight with an S Rank. Think you can handle that?" She said with a devilish look in her eyes.

"Easy." He replied, giving her a wink.

"God, I love it when you get cocky, but you better back that ego of yours up! I've only got you for a few days and I want as much quality time with you as I can get. Gotta make up for lost time you know?"

Akira nodded before his girlfriend grabbed his hand and practically dragged him towards the front door.

"Now, let's go have breakfast."

When they walked into Leblanc the rest of The Phantom Thieves were sitting in their booth conversing with each other over coffee while Ryuji sipped on some orange juice. Morgana was the first to notice the pair's entrance.

"Well well well, look who finally decided to join us!" He teased.

"Oh thank goodness, I'm starving." Ann exclaimed.

"You know you guys would have been able to eat sooner if you had woken us up." Akira reminded them.

"That's what I told the girls, but they were all like, oh no don't bother them, they look sooooo cute all bundled up like that!" Ryuji grumbled.

"Well would you want us to disturb you and your girlfriend if you two finally got to spend the night together after being apart for months?" Makoto asked him.

Ryuji rubbed the back of his head awkwardly.

"Uh…well…"

"Heh, no girl would want to spend the night with him! Not with how loud he snores!" Morgana teased.

"Hey quiet you!" His friend snapped while Futaba took her place at the booth and Akira went to get breakfast going in the kitchen, tossing on his apron with a chuckle.

"Come on you two, no fighting." He chided.

"Alright fine." Ryuji muttered.

"He knows I don't mean anything by it. Besides, we can get along when we need to." Mona offered.

"I recall one incident in particular. In Shido's palace, after the girls were subjected to perversions of that nobleman who we found lounging on the pool deck." Yusuke muttered.

"I remember this as well." Haru said with a soft chuckle before taking a sip from her cup.

…

Haru, Makoto, Ann and Futaba were more than happy to be out of their commandeered swimsuits and back in their thief outfits but were deeply disturbed by the implications of what had just transpired. Once they slipped into their swimsuits they were no longer considered threats by Shido but the second they dared to speak up for themselves and became more than pretty faces, they were sent back into their thief outfits, once again threats to Shido's rule of Japan. Now the girls stood in the back of the Thieves' standard formation watching the boys wail on the man who had been flirting with them mere minutes ago.

"I'm not sure how I feel about this…" Makoto began, brushing her bangs aside to get a better view of the battle. Ryuji had just thrown an electric spell at the large sting ray that loomed over the pool deck. The shadow writhed and screamed as Yusuke leaped into the air and drove his katana into its gills. Black ooze seeped from the wound as Haru sighed wearily, shouldering her grenade launcher.

"I know what you mean, but I would think they are smart enough to realize we can fight our own battles." In the distance, they could hear Morgana snarling at their opponent as Zorro unleashed hurricane-force winds from his wand.

"You think you can touch Lady Ann like that YOU BASTARD?!"

"I'd almost feel better about all this if we were the ones fighting him instead of them" Ann grumbled, putting a hand on her hip.

"They mean well though…" Makoto offered.

"True." Ann replied with a hesitant nod.

"I think it's kinda sweet." Futaba told them.

"Panther you've been on the front line all day, and Queen you saved our bacon in restaurant. If you hadn't of stunned that rotten politician with your initial attack he might have gotten away and I know Joker want's Noir to save her strength after that really rough battle from earlier."

The girls all nodded in understanding as Joker's commanding voice thundered across the pool deck as Arsene appeared behind him.

"PERSONA!"

"Give em hell honey!" Futaba shouted prompting a battle cry from the lead Phantom Thief as curse spell screamed through the air and brought the shadow crashing down onto the deck.

"Where was I? Oh yeah, what I'm getting at is that they're pampering us in their own weird way. So, I don't mind it."

Ann giggled. "Pamper huh, well when you put it like that I guess this isn't so bad."

"Is that why you're back here with us?" Makoto asked.

"Yeah Joker said that he and the guys had things handled and told me to hop out of Prometheus and stretch my legs. I also brought snacks!"

Futaba produced a several small zip lock bags of her favorite junk food that she used to fend off mid-heist munchies. The girls all took a snack of their choice and began chowing down as the boys continued to tear their enemey a new one with ever-increasing ferocity.

"Boys will be boys I suppose." Ann said with a chuckle.

"Reinforcements incoming!" Mona shouted.

"Uh oh…do you need help guys!?" Futaba asked.

"No, this group works! Just take it easy for a bit. You earned it girls!" Joker replied, summoning what looked to be a demented Jack Frost.

"That's a new one huh?" Haru asked before biting into a potato chip.

"Mhmm." Futaba replied, sipping on her water bottle.

"We'll take you all on!" Ryuji barked before casting a support spell, a wave of red energy rippled through the air. The boys ripped through the enemey formation with ease as the girls enjoyed their snacks.

"Would you have ever imagined they'd be our best friends?" Futaba asked.

"Definitely not." Makoto replied, now sitting down next to the squatting Futaba. The other girls quickly followed suit.

"I would have never imagined it, but now, I can't picture a day without them." Haru murmured.

"Me neither." Ann said with a smile.

Futaba sighed blissfully, her attention fixated on her boyfriend who had just shoulder cheeked a shadow, knocking it to the ground before shooting it several times. The sight of him fighting for her, as he had from the beginning, made her heart swell as he whipped around to lock blades with a sword-wielding shadow. "Same…KICK HIS CANDY ASS FOR ME HUN!"

…

"Didn't things get really bad like five minutes later and we had to come bail you out?" Makoto asked.

"Uh-that's not important! It was the thought that counts!" Ryuji asked.

"Yeah what he said." Akira protested as he started serving everyone their breakfast before his phone buzzed in his pocket. Futaba looked up from her bacon and eggs with some concern.

"Your parents?" She asked

"Yeah, they'll be here at four. Dinner will be at five, they're taking us too...literally one of the fanciest sushi restaurants in Tokyo." He explained.

"Imma have to wear a dress huh?" Futaba muttered.

"Afraid so."

"Blaaaaaaaah."

Ann suddenly tuned into the conversation.

"You're going out to dinner with his parents?"

"Yup yup."

"Do you need any help picking out an outfit?"

Futaba thought about this for a minute, if Akira's dad really was as uptight as her boyfriend said he was, she might have to go all out on this. Ann's advice would be invaluable.

"This dinner is actually super important, so I could use all the help I can get."

Ann was ecstatic, bouncing up in down in her seat as the dream of being able to help with Futaba's romantic endeavor had at long last become reality.

"Awesome! I can't wait!"

"I'll help too, do you have plans later Haru?" Makoto asked

"Now I do." The pink haired girl replied.

Futaba just shook her head and looked at her boyfriend who offered her a reassuring smile. What had she gotten herself into?

…

Futaba stood before her bedroom mirror as the girls shuffled through her wardrobe, assembling a myriad of different combinations. Makoto was reading off the weather forecast to Ann who was chucking articles of clothing into two distinct piles. Useable and not useable. Haru worked in coordination with her, going through Futaba's limited collection of shoes to find the most promising candidates. All while Futaba ran through mock introductions in her head.

"Hi, my name is Futaba Sakura"

It seemed like an obvious choice, but it was too simple.

"Hi, my name is Futaba Sakura. How ya'll doin tonight?"

Nope too casual

Come on Futaba. You are confident, strong, sophisticated. You need to knock this out of the park!

"Wait hold on, the forecast changed! Now it says it going to rain!" Makoto grumbled.

"Are you kidding me!? I have to start over now!" Ann yelped before combing her two existing piles of clothes into one giant wad that she lifted back into the closet.

Mom…if you can hear me, please help. I wanna make a good impression. I have to make a good impression. I wanna be a good girlfriend…

"Is something wrong Futaba?" Haru asked.

"Actually…yeah, I was wondering if you could help me with something."

"What is it?"

"How do sophisticated people like, talk to each other?"

"Sophisticated? I'm not sure I follow."

"Well you see Akira's dad is a doctor and he's really uptight, and by uptight I'm pretty sure it's like there's a stick up his butt. He's a doctor and he's probably gonna want his son to have this super-hot, grade A housewife material girl dating his son and as I'm sure you can see I'm not that and I'm worried that he's not gonna like me and then Akira's gonna have to try and cover up that fact that I'm not a good girlfriend and by the end of the night he might realize that and -"

As Futaba started turning blue, Makoto's voice shot from the closest like a cannonball. Firm and commanding but laced with motherly concern.

"Breathe!"

Futaba stopped and took a deep breath which helped to slow her mind. Only now did she feel the anxiety rising in her chest. She slowly counted to ten like her friends had taught her and exhaled before continuing.

"I just wanna be someone he's proud to be with." She summarized.

Ann stuck her head out of the closet with a concerned look on her face.

"Futaba…" She murmured before walking over and putting her hands on the younger girls shoulders.

"I've known Akira awhile, just a little longer then you have, and I guarantee you that he loves you just the way you are."

"I know he loves me, I guess there are just days where I feel like he can do better. Like I'm holding him back from the person he is supposed to be with. You know?"

"I understand what you're feeling, but you gotta trust me ok? Tonight, is going to be amazing, and his parents are going to love you because you two are perfect for each other." Ann assured her.

Haru studied Futaba with worry and whipped out her phone sending a quick message to Akira.

Hey, Futaba is really nervous about tonight. You might want to come over early before you head out so you two can talk.

Akira being the person he was, answered almost immediately.

She isn't having a panic attack, is she? I can be there in 10 minutes If I move fast.

No nothing that serious. She's just having some self-confidence issues. Ann has it handled for the time being.

Ok, lemme know if she needs anything.

Will do!

Haru looked up to see her friends sorting through a newly assembled pile of clothes, with Ann and Makoto exchanging ideas while Futaba did her best to provide input.

"Sorry I have such a limited collection Ann, probably doesn't make this any easier."

"This will be definitely be a challenge, but I'll make something here work. Especially since your basically my little sister. I can't let you down!" She replied.

"Ann! I think I found our glass slippers." Haru exclaimed, presenting her with a pair of black wedges, even Futaba seemed surprised by the discovery.

"Oh man I forgot I had those, I haven't worn em in forever." She mumbled as she walked over to Haru to examine them more closely.

"My mom bought them for me…I saw them when we were at the mall. My mom got all excited because it was the first time we ended up doing something girly together."

"I can't picture you freaking out overshoes, usually its computers parts or a new video game." Makoto said with a fond smile.

"Hey, even I can't help but be a girl sometimes," Futaba replied with a chuckle.

"That's fair, I can't even remember the last time I was helping someone put an outfit together like this." The older girl replied, returning to her duties as one of Ann's assistants.

"Is it still going to rain?" Ann asked prompting Makoto to check her phone.

"Yeah, sure looks like it. I don't think we'll need to worry about starting over again." She replied with a chuckle.

"Alright then, right now I've got twenty possible outfits." Ann declared before turning around. "Let's get this started."

"Twenty?" Futaba asked.

"Well I'm not crazy for 12 through 18 but that doesn't matter. You have to like it when you put it on since you'll be the one wearing it."

"If we really get stumped we could always take you shopping too, if you want of course." Haru offered.

"I'm worried we might not have that kind of time. It's already noon!" Ann yelped.

"Dinner isn't until five though." Futaba replied.

"Well once we get this done we're gonna have to give you a crash course on how to walk in wedges, then we need to have lunch before you shower then there's makeup. We still have a lot to do! Trust me, this is going to be a bit of a process."

"Oh, brother…" Futaba muttered as Ann handed her two different outfits.

"Start with these. You can change in here or you can use the restroom."

"Or we could wait in the living room." Makoto offered.

"I'll use the restroom." The gamer replied before heading out to get changed.

Futaba closed the door to her bathroom and rested her head against it with a sigh, closing her eyes as she rummaged through her pockets for her phone. As she pulled it out muscle memory dictated her actions as she prepared to send a message to her boyfriend but just before she started typing, she furrowed her brow.

No, I can do this.

She looked up and then to the mirror before stripping down to her underwear. She frowned slightly at her reflection, only able to see what she lacked in comparison to the other girls.

Why did he pick you? a voice in the back of her head hissed. The same voice that once cursed her for killing her mother. A year ago, she wouldn't have had a response. A lot had changed this past year.

Because he stole my heart...so I returned the favor, cuz that's how I roll

With that, she grabbed the first set of clothes Ann had given her.

An hour later, the girls had been through almost a dozen outfits by this point, all of which either looked too casual, too ugly or was just straight up uncomfortable to wear. Makoto was rummaging through the pile of clothes while Ann sat on Futaba's bed, staring down at the floor with a determined look on her face.

"Think Ann, think." She grumbled as Futaba walked into the room, prompting Makoto to gasp and tug on Ann's sleeve.

"I think we found it." The older girl told her friend who looked up from the floor.

"Oh yeah what-oh wow, Futaba…"

Futaba was wearing a nice dark purple blouse, black jeans, her wedges and a confident smirk that made Ann's heart swell with pride, forcing her to jump and shout:

"We have a winner!"

"You think so? Cuz I don't know about you guys but I think I look really-AH!" Futaba was beaming now, pivoting to look at herself in the mirror, only to fall over.

"Owwww."

"I think we'll need to take you out to get you used to those shoes again." Ann offered.

"We have those high-top converses as a backup too," Makoto added as her friend got to her feet, shaking her head.

"No way, I'm making these shoes work. Even it if kills-DAMMIT."

Futaba snapped as she started to fall over again only to be pulled upright by Ann.

"I already have a destination in mind, I don't know about you all but I'm getting hungry," Haru told the group.

"I'm down for lunch before we hop back to it!" Ann declared.

"Ugghh, how far?" Futaba groaned.

"Not far, but we'll take it slow," Haru assured her.

…

Akira stood in front of Futaba's front door, dressed up for a night on the town. He wore the nicest pair of jeans he had and a black dress shirt. In one hand, he held a small bouquet of flowers while in his other hand he held his phone which he was trying to avoid looking at. He had told his father they would meet them at the restaurant, specifically so he could talk to Futaba about the night ahead. That's when the door opened, she stepped out, and Akira looked up and his heart skipped a beat.

Futaba was dressed up in some nice semi-casual clothes he had never seen on her before, her nails were painted black and her lips shimmered in the orange light of the setting sun. He had never seen her with makeup on before, not even lip gloss but now that he had, he knew he wouldn't mind seeing her in it more even it was kept to a minimum like it was now.

"Heya pretty boy, ready to go have some fun?"

Akira blushed and nodded as she took her bouquet form him and planted a quick kiss on his cheek and ran inside to put the flowers in a vase before coming back out and linking arms with her boyfriend as they departed for the train station.

"You look amazing." He finally managed to say as they walked down the street.

"You have Ann, Makoto and Haru to thank for that. They were a big help today. They turned this hot mess into well…I guess like a hotter mess but that sounds lame." She told him, running her thumb along the fabric of his shirt.

"You're lookin pretty swanky too, I like it!"

"Thanks."

There was a brief silence between the two as they entered the train station before Akira spoke again.

"You nervous?"

"Eh, a little I guess. I've never met your parents and I want to make a good impression. Hopefully I roll good on those intelligence checks your Dad sends my way. I already feel like these shoes give me plus three charisma. So, I'm not worried about that."

"I'll admit I'm surprised. Never thought I'd see you wearing shoes like that in a million years. You seem to be handlin' em well though."

"Pfft, you should have seen me earlier when the girls and I went to get lunch. I was all over the place! Almost gave Makoto a heart attack when I nearly fell into an open manhole."

"Well I'm glad you didn't. you know how much I hate missions that take place in the sewers. It's so cliché."

Futaba looked up at her boyfriend with a confused look on her face.

"You liked the one in Knights of the Old Republic though!"

"Well, that's because you get a freakin Wookie at the end. Nobody can be mad after getting a Wookie as your companion."

"Note to self, next time I plan on getting kidnapped and dragged into the sewers, make sure I have a Wookie, so my boyfriend will actually want to come find me!" She teased, prompting Akira to playfully scowl at her and stick his tongue at her. They arrived at their platform as their train pulled out of the station, whooshing past them and making Futaba huff in irritation.

"Ah its ok, we can catch the next one." She told Akira who nodded and pulled her a little closer to him. He was intensely staring at the ads on the platform across from them like they were going to produce shadows that would charge across the tracks to attack them. Futaba knew that gaze all too well, she wasn't talking to Akira anymore. She was talking to Joker. The implications of this made her heart sink.

"Expectin' a fight pretty boy?" She asked gently, trying to mask her worry playfulness.

"I kind of am yeah…" He replied, his voice barely audible amongst the hustle and bustle of the ever-busy subway station. Futaba pursed her lips before responding.

"I know you don't get along with your Dad…and I know that he wasn't there when you needed him, but he isn't your enemey. I made the mistake of thinking that way about my Mom, and it tore me apart on the inside. So, don't make the mistake that I did, ok?"

Akira took a deep breath and cast his gaze down towards the floor.

"I know…" He replied, his voice was trembling like his composure was about shatter at any second.

"I'm gonna prove to him that I'm a great girlfriend." She assured him, unlinking her arm from his and taking his hand.

"Taba you don't need to prove anything." He told her as their train pulled into the station. There were a dozen other things he wanted to tell her, he knew she was suppressing her anxiety to make the night easier on him but he knew her all too well, and before he could continue, she pulled him towards the train.

"Come on, at the very least we should be there on time. That's a good start right?" She asked as they stepped onto the train.

"What did I do to deserve you?" Akira said shaking his head.

"Well, you pissed off a bunch of Medjed wannabes for one."

"Shush you." He chuckled as the doors of the train closed.

…

The restaurant that Akira's parents had chosen was extravagant, most of its guests were dressed to the nines. Futaba briefly wondered if they were underdressed but quickly pushed the concern out her mind. They were high school students, surely no one would give them crap for dressing in what they could afford. As Akira talked to the man in charge of ushering guests to their tables, he examined the pair with a bit of confusion before Akira finished his explanation. The waiter nodded, and a slight smile emerged on his face before he beckoned the two to follow him to their table. As they walked through the crowded restaurant, Futaba felt her chest tighten. Crowds were still a bit of a challenge for her. Eager to get her mind off the dozens of strangers that were watching them as they passed, she looked up to Akira.

"How many of these people do you think would have a palace?" She murmured.

"Hmmm, I bet we've passed like three already."

"I was thinking five, pretty sure I saw an EA executive back there."

"Seriously?" Akira asked.

"I'm like 95% sure he was the one who was like, oh yeah loot boxes are meant to give you a sense of accomplishment and gratification for all the hard work you put into your games or something like that."

"Oh man I hate that guy." Akira growled under his breath.

"Too bad we can't change the heart of a cooperation."

"No kidding." Akira replied as they arrived at their destination. His mother got out of her seat and walked over with a big smile on her face. Akira felt a little better about that, his mom seemed genuine in her excitement. She was dressed in a semi-casual dress while the man who was getting up from his seat was wearing slacks and a dress shirt in conjunction with a blazer.

"There you are you two!" She exclaimed, giving her son a quick hug before looking to his partner.

"Mom, this is Futaba. Futaba this is my mom."

The redheaded girl waved enthusiastically at the older woman who started getting teary-eyed once she got a good look at her.

"Look at you, oh my goodness you're beautiful. I hope we didn't cause you too much stress by showing up so suddenly but after Akira took off to come see you and your dad we figured we should come down and offer our support. Is your dad ok?"

"He's doing really good, he should be home in a few days." Futaba replied with nod.

"Good good, well come sit down. We already ordered some appetizers. Do you like calamari Futaba?"

"More than life itself." She replied, earning a chuckle from Akira's mom as Akira's father walked over to them. Immediately she felt a surge of anxiety ripple through her body. She heard Prometheus' warning alerts echo in her head.

Warning! High Level Enemy Detected.

The older man exerted a presence that put Futaba on edge, similar to that of a principle or a police officer. She immediately recognized him as an authority figure that was not to be trifled with and became very self-conscious of her appearance and how she was acting in general. Was she standing up straight? Shit what if he asks her if she has a soup spoon but she ends up confusing it with a salad spoon? More importantly, why the hell were there two kinds of spoon inf the first place, and who the fu-"

"Futaba?" Akira asked gently, startling her out of her thoughts.

"Hm?"

"This is my Dad." He told her, gesturing to the older man who gave her a nod.

"Hi again." He said flatly, a small smile on his face.

"Oh sorry, I must have spaced out. Uh, nice to meet you sir."

"Nice to meet you too Miss Sakura." He replied before they all walked over to their table and took a seat. That's when Futaba remembered they were at a sushi restaurant. The spoons wouldn't be an issue.

Oh boy this is going to be a long night. She thought to herself as Akira took a seat next her after pulling her chair out for her. Once they were both seated, he reached for her hand and she grabbed hold of it for a few seconds before they returned them to their laps.

"Were you able to go see you dad after his surgery Futaba?" Akira's mom asked.

"N-no ma'am, doctors said he needed his rest today but we're all planning on going tomorrow afternoon." She replied.

"Oh Futaba, no need for formalities. Call me Sone."

Futaba smiled and nodded.

"Ok."

"So, my husband and I are curious, since Akira never told us. How did you two meet?"

Futaba looked at her boyfriend with surprise.

"You never told them?"

Her eyes asked him something different

WHAT THE F%^K DO WE SAY?!

"No, not yet. I figured we should both tell them once we all got together for the first time. I'm sure my Mom will want to hear your perspective on everything."

Follow my lead. He seemed to say.

"So there was this game that came out a couple months ago. The new Assassin's Creed. It takes place, and you both know I love my video games. Well Futaba is a gamer too, and she loves Ancient Egypt. So there we are in the line for the midnight release-"

"Why would you wait in line for a game these days? Couldn't you just order it online ahead of time?"

SHE'S ONTO US. SECURITY LEVEL INCREASED. Futaba screeched in her head as she stepped in.

"Well, this shop in Akihabara was giving out these collector additions for all the people who showed up in person. You know as an incentive to keep our money in the local economy and promote the continued support of local businesses and whatnot."

"Oh ok, that's cool!" Sone replied as her husband took a sip of his water.

"I just hope it didn't cause any issues with your studies." He muttered.

"If you called me you'd know that I'd got in the top ten for my class that semester," Akira grumbled before taking a sip of his own water. Futaba quickly intervened while Sone put a hand on her husband's arm and gave him a concerned look.

"Hey hey, stay on topic. You still need to confess to your parents the god-awful pickup line you used on me in line." Futaba chided before looking to Sone.

"You're not gonna believe this. It was so cheesy."

"That sounds like my son alright," Sone replied with a chuckle.

"Mom!" Akira groaned, turning bright red.

"Wait until you hear how he ask his crush to a dance when he was a first year."

Futaba flashed a mischievous grin.

"Alright put a pin in our story, we'll come back to it. I need to hear about this."

"Dear god mom please," Akira muttered, burying his head in his hands out of sheer embarrassment.

"Oh ok, so Akira had a crush on a fourth year. I can't remember her name, but she was on the school softball team. He talked to her every day before and after school and he went to every single game she had, even if it was pouring cats and dogs."

"Probably the most invested he's ever been in sports actually." Akira's father added.

"Not you too!" Akira yelped.

"it's a funny story!" His Dad replied with a chuckle.

"So, he rounds up his friends to help him with this weeks before the dance and the last thing he needs is a wagon. You know, like the ones that little kids get pulled around in." Sone continued.

Futaba looked at her boyfriend with confusion.

"A wagon?"

"Yeah…I thought it was kind of cool at the time." He replied

"So the day, he asked he lays down in the wagon like's he posing for the cover of Sports Illustrated and his friends roll him up to this girl and he's trying to be all suave and says some terrible pick up line to this poor girl who's probably just confused as to why this first year is presenting himself to her just to be asked to a dance," Sone concluded, giggling as she reached the end of her story.

"What did you say again, son?"

"I can't remember…" Akira replied.

"Yes, you can." His father told him with a snicker.

"Umm, I think it was something like… As a baseball player, I know my way around the bases."

Futaba's jaw dropped.

"You did not say that!"

"I'm afraid I did." He replied with a somber nod.

"Obviously, she said no and she never spoke to me again."

That's when Futaba lost it. She laughed and laughed until her sides hurt, she loved her boyfriend. She loved him with all her heart and she would never change a thing about him, but sometimes she had trouble reconciling the fact that the badass leader of the Phantom Thieves was a complete dork sometimes. As she wiped the tears from her eyes, she put her hand on her boyfriend's wrist.

"Well I'm glad she said no because if she knew you like I do, she would have never broken up with you, you probably would have never stolen my heart and I wouldn't have my partner in crime now would I?"

Akira smiled softly at her and Futaba felt a sense of pride swell in her chest as a waiter came by and set their appetizers down on the table. Maybe she was a good girlfriend after all? Sone cooed and looked at her husband who just smiled softly back at her.

As they began eating the large plate of calamari that was in front of them, it was Akira's father who started the conversation again.

"So, Futaba, where do you go to High School? Shujin?"

"Yeah I go to Shujin, it's my first year." She replied.

"Shouldn't you be a second year?"

"Well yeah, but I started a year later than most people my age normally do."

"Why's that? Trouble with entrance exams?"

"Kinda? I had some issues at home I had to get sorted out before I took them…It's a long story. I d-don't mean to be rude, but I'd rather leave it at that."

"Fair enough." He replied before taking a quick sip from his glass of water before he started to lightly drum on the table. Her eyes darted to his fingers as he tapped away, the beat he was playing was slightly arrhythmic. She tried not to focus on it too much and went back to eating calamari.

"So aside from video games do you have any other hobbies? Anime club at school or Student council? Things like that?"

"N-no. Makoto is actually the student council president. She's pretty good at it. Right now she's studying to be a police commissioner. I'm really excited for her. I can't believe this time next year Akira and her and most of my other friends will be seniors."

"Ah that's right, I remember now. I remember talking to Akira about her. You two met after that whole Kamoshida incident correct? Since she was interviewing students about the Phantom Thieves, right son?"

"That's right," Akira replied flatly.

"Did he tell you about her too dear?"

"I think so yeah," Sone replied.

Akira and Futaba exchanged glances before Futaba tugged gently on the collar of her blouse. It felt really warm all of a sudden. The restaurant seemed to be getting filled with even more people by the minute. Futaba scanned the sea of patrons before Akira's dad brought her gaze back to the table.

"Ever been here before?"

"No never. I've never seen this many people in one place before."

"Oh, this is nothing, in half an hour it's gonna get even more crowded. They might even have to open up the second floor."

"S-second floor?" Futaba squeaked.

"Yup, that's why I wanted to eat sooner rather than later." He replied the tempo of his tapping had sped up ever so slightly. Crimmney that was getting annoying.

"You don't mind crowds do you?"

Futaba shook her head.

"Pfft, nah. The c-crowds in my favorite electronics store is worse than this place by far." She replied, probably a little too quickly.

"Electronic store eh? You wouldn't happen to build computers by chance, would you?"

"Actually yeah! I've built a desktop and a gaming laptop. They're pretty powerful if I do say so myself. Way better than any pre-built rig you can find out there on the open market."

"So, do you think you'll get into tech field once you graduate?"

"W-well I honestly haven't thought about it. I'm just a first year, but that would be pretty cool." Futaba felt her heart rate slowly climb. She tried to focus on Akira who sat next to her and on Sone who watched her with a friendly smile on her face.

Stay calm Futaba, he's just trying to make conversation.

"If you want my advice, start thinking about it now. These next four years are going to fly by, and you don't want to be stuck without a plan. Akira's struggling with that right now."

Futaba turned to look at her boyfriend with mild concern.

"I thought y-you were coming back h-here after you graduated?"

"Well I want to, but I need to figure out what I'm going to study first," Akira assured her as his father continued to drum away. Was he tapping faster than before or was it just her imagination.

"So, you're a gamer, a computer whiz and a first year who's still trying to figure out what she wants to do with her life. Well, you're young, you'll figure it out I'm sure." He said with a friendly smile, pausing his drumming for half a second. Her eyes darted to his fingers then up to meet his gaze.

Is he doing this on purpose? She wondered as he turned to talk to his wife.

"Ready to order?"

"Oh yeah, I'm ready. How about you Futaba?" Sone asked.

"Oh crap, I don't think I've even looked at the menu. Please give me a minute I'm so sorry."

"It's ok," Sone assured her as Futaba looked to Akira, across the table, the drumming started again. It was a little louder now.

"H-hey what are you getting?" She asked.

"I'm probably just gonna get some unagi and some shrimp tempura. How about you?"

His eyes asked her a different question

Are you ok?

As she pointed to her sushi of choice, she replied.

I'm not doin so hot

As she put her menu down and told Akira's parents she was ready to order, she reached down under the table, allowing her boyfriend to give her hand a quick squeeze. Akira's father nodded at her and got the waiter's attention as a group of eight passed by. One of the older gentleman recognized Akira's father.

"Kawano? I haven't seen you in ages, my friend!"

"It's good to see you as well Tada! I had no idea you were in Tokyo."

"Ah yes, I'm here as a guest speaker for the medical students down at the university. Some of the faculty asked if I wanted to go out to dinner and well, here we are! What brings you to town?"

"Well, we're actually here with my son Akira and his girlfriend. Hey Akira, you remember Uncle Tada right? He and his wife babysat you when you were little."

"I remember." Akira replied with a nod, his face had changed though. Futaba saw Joker emerging from the shadows of his mind. Something was up and it was all coming to a head. What had she done wrong? Could she still save this and could Mr. Kurusu quit it with his damn tapping already!?

"Akira, I haven't seen you in ages. I'm glad to see you have found someone special, uh, what is your name miss?"

"F-Futaba, it's nice to meet y-y-you."

"Don't mind her, she's a little shy." Akira's dad told his friend.

"Say how about you bring your group over here and we can combine our tables. That way we can all eat together."

"Honey, tonight we were supposed to eat with just Akira and Futaba." Sone murmured.

Futaba was sweating now, her heart was beating so fast she was afraid it was going to come flying out of her chest and clock Sone right in the face. Her hands were balled into tight fists and her knuckles were bright white. All the while, Kawano's tapping had reached intolerable levels of agitating. The prospect of having to face down an entire group of strangers wasn't helping. She was going to explode at any second.

"Well tonight was supposed to be a family dinner and Tada is family to us, so is Futaba so I figured-"

"Stop it." Akira finally said, loud and firm enough to make Futaba jump.

The tapping ceased, as did all conversation within a five-table radius. Futaba looked at her boyfriend whose face was bright red, he was so angry he was shaking. Sone looked concerned while Futaba could only curse herself out under her breath. She'd blown it.

"Excuse me?" Kawano asked, barely concealing his anger.

"I said stop it. I know what you're up to." Akira growled.

"What in the hell has gotten into you?" His father asked, leaning towards his son. Tada excused himself from the conversation as did the waiter who was taking their order.

"You've been pushing Futaba's buttons all night. You know she has anxiety, don't you?"

"I'm a doctor, I notice these things, but if you're implying that I-"

"Don't play dumb with me Dad. If you've got something to say, say it. That's how men are supposed to act, right?"

Kawano's nostrils flared, and he exhaled sharply.

"I cannot for the life of me understand why you chose to date this girl."

"Kawano!" His wife snapped.

"Let me talk Sone…you've done some really stupid things kiddo but this takes the cake. This girl has serious issues, I can tell the way she's been squirming all night. She has no plan for the future, no life outside of whatever pointless sixty-dollar game she happens to be obsessed with at the time. You can do so much better, and not just in regards to girls. Your whole damn life, you could have everything and anything and yet you piss away everything that I've worked to give you! All because you have no idea what the hell you're going to do when they hand you that diploma!"

"You have no idea what she's been through and you have no idea what I want."

"Kawano this is not what this family need right now, we've talked about this!" Sone pleaded. Both men stood up, Futaba was scared now, she had never seen Akira this angry before.

"Both of you stop…please…" Sone begged before she started to sob.

"Akira, calm down, let's just go," Futaba asked.

"You need to take a step back and reexamine your life son. All of this, Tokyo, Leblanc, this girl. It's not for you. If you stay here, you'll be making the biggest mistake of your life."

"Is it really not for me Dad? Or is it just not for you?"

"I'm trying to help you, son, because I-"

Akira laughed and a shook his head, tears were streaking down his face.

"Because you love me? If you loved me then where were you after I got put on probation? Where were you when I said I wanted to be something other than a doctor. I don't think you love me Dad. I think you were in love with the idea of having a son. A son who was the star player on the baseball, a son who was the guy that all the other guys at school were envious of. It wasn't that simple though. I never was what you wanted me to be, and I'm tired, so damn tired of fighting you, but it's just how we are now I guess. Years from now, this is what we'll be looking back on. Not a nice dinner with me and my girlfriend, but another fight. Our last fight, because I'm done. I can't do this anymore. So, you want to know what my plan is, well here it is. I'll finish this semester out, and then I'm transferring to Shujin for my fourth year. I may not get into the nicest college, and but whenever I end up, it'll be my choice, because this is my life, not yours."

Akira took a shaky breath and turned to leave before stopping.

"Futaba may be a bit odd, she's not the best in crowds and she likes her computer more than she likes most people, but she's taught me so much in the time we've been together. She's taught me how to code, she's taught me that building your own computer is a lot cheaper than buying a prebuilt one and that Phoenix Ranger Featherman R is one of the best shows on tv. She's taught me to be patient and to fight for the people you care about. I'm excited to see what she's going to teach me next, and I'm proud to call her my girlfriend and if you think I'm going to sit here and let you disparage her, you're wrong…let's go Taba."

She got up and watched her boyfriend leave, hesitating for a brief moment. She looked to Sone and sighed.

"I'm so sorry…" She muttered before leaving the table as well.

As she walked off, her shock was replaced with anger. She had given Akira's father the benefit of the doubt, but he had stabbed them both in the back. The entire night he had been trying to make her breakdown. He had almost succeeded…almost. As everyone in the restaurant stared at her, she no longer felt afraid. Instead, she was seething with anger. She stopped in her tracks and whipped around, storming up to Kawano and locking eyes with him.

"You wanna know who I really am Mr. Kurusu? I'll tell you. I'm Futaba Sakura, daughter of Wakaba Ishiki and Sojiro Sakura. My mom was a brilliant woman whose study of cognitive sciences would have changed the world. My dad is the man who took me in when my own family turned on me. Akira is my boyfriend, the person I love more than anything else in the world. He and I have been through hell together, and it'll take a hell of a lot more than some snide remarks and passive-aggressive behavior to drive us apart and if there's one thing I can promise you, sir, its that I will always be there for him…which is more than I can say for you." She said with a steely calm voice before storming off to catch up with her boyfriend.

…

Akira was quiet the entire way back to the train station, never breaking stride as he marched down the streets of Tokyo. Futaba did her best to keep up, but her shoes were becoming more and more of a hindrance. She quickly slipped them off, tied them together by their laces and jogged to catch up, her shoes slung over her shoulders. Akira noticed this as they descended into the subway tunnels.

"You're Club Penguins socks are gonna get all dirty." He mumbled.

"Eh, I'll just wash em when we get home." She told him as they got on the train, which was surprisingly deserted for it being still so early in the evening.

"Wanna order pizza when we get back? We can even invite Ryuji and Ann over for Mario Party." She offered as they both sat down.

"That sounds…really nice actually.

"Alright, I'll shoot them a text and see what-"

She was silenced by the sound of him sobbing. She turned to see him with his face in his hands, crying his eyes out and muttering to himself.

"I'm sorry, I kept telling myself he wasn't the enemey like you said, but I just can't believe he did that to you."

"Hey, hey, its ok. He got to both of us. I should of seen through what he was doing form the beginning. It's not your fault."

Akira continued to cry, trying to apologize further only for Futaba to shush him and pull him into a hug.

"It's ok, I'm here. We'll be home soon." She told him, rubbing his back in an attempt to soothe him as the train doors closed.

…

A.N- Whew! This just might be the longest chapter yet! Please leave any feedback in the comments! This whole story is an exercise to help me get better at making character-driven stories so any advice you all have will be greatly appreciated. A lot happened this chapter so if you made it this far, thanks for reading! I hope you're enjoying the story so far. We have one more chapter in this section of stories, which I refer to as the prologue arc before we transition into the next arc which will focus on Summer in Tokyo which will be one of the shorter arcs. I won't spoil what comes after but I'm excited to write it!

Until next time my lovely readers!


	6. Seasons Change

Seasons Change

The next morning Futaba woke up in her bed, slowly opening her eyes expecting to see her boyfriend's face or perhaps the back of his head but instead she found that her bed was empty as was her room. Save for herself and Morgana, who was asleep in her gaming chair. The only sound in her home was the hum of her computer and the creaks and groans of the ceiling as her neighbors that lived above her started their day. She sat up and stretched her arms before dragging herself over to her desk where she had placed her glasses before examining her surroundings.

No note.

No flowers save for the ones he gave her last night.

No tray loaded with food.

This was bad.

She unplugged her phone from its charging cable and checked the screen, seeing a handful of messages from her friends along with a missed call notification paired with a new voicemail, both from earlier that morning.

Haru: _I'm so sorry to hear about what happened last night. Ann told us all about it earlier when she got up for work. Try not to beat yourself up about it ok? You aren't the problem._

Makoto: _Hey Oracle, heard about last night from Ann. Is Akira doing alright?_

Yusuke: _Let me know if there's anything I can do for Joker. Keep me posted on his condition._

She quickly typed out a uniform response for them, thanking them for their concern and promising to update them when she could before checking her call log, her eyes widening as she hit play on the voicemail.

"Hi Ms. Sakura, this is Doctor Masafumi, we spoke the other day regarding your father's operation. I'm happy to report that he is recovering much quicker than expected and we are hoping to release him later today. We will be performing a few more tests on him in the early afternoon to make a final decision on the matter. I will keep you posted as the day goes on, in the meantime, please keep an eye on your email inbox as I will be sending you some very important information regarding changes your Father will need to make to his lifestyle in order to reduce the risk for future heart problems. As you requested, I will be also working in conjunction with Dr. Takemi, who will be your father's primary physician moving forward. She will report to me when needed or when your father's healthcare needs extend beyond what her facility is capable of providing. Thank you for your time."

Futaba finally felt the last of the tension in her body fade away, Sojiro was coming home soon, she'd force feed him salads and oatmeal the rest of his life, and everything would be fine. The timing for the news couldn't come at a better time. She needed his advice now more than ever. She looked down at her outfit, Akira's Elite Dangerous sweater and the black gym shorts she used as pajamas in the spring and summer. Her hair was a frizzy mess and she was still struggling to blink the sleep from her eyes, but she needed to go check on her other half. After opening the living room window so Mona could come and go as he pleased, she threw on her shoes and set off towards Leblanc.

…

She entered the restaurant to find Akira in the kitchen, cooking what smelled like curry which intermixed with smelled like Sojiro's house blend he rolled out during the spring. She studied her boyfriend with concern as she went to sit down at the bar.

He hadn't even noticed her come in.

His gaze was fixated on the dish he was preparing, going through the motions Sojiro had taught to him oh so long ago. Except all the love was absent from the affair. He wasn't humming to himself, his music wasn't playing, he wasn't even sipping on his coffee as he worked. He looked miserable, it had probably been for the best that she had left the sign flipped to closed.

"You know it's rude to let a girl wake up all by herself." She finally said, his gaze quickly shifting to her as he inhaled sharply. She had probably startled him, but now she almost wished she hadn't seen his face. The bags under his eyes were startlingly defined, her heart broke in two as he stopped cooking and shambled towards her rubbing one of his eyes and yawning. 

"Sorry…" He managed, offering her his cup of coffee. "You can have mine, I'll pour myself another cup after I serve us. Hungry?"

"Akira-" She began.

"Sorry I came over here without you, I just needed something to occupy my mind."

"Akira I…"

"I probably was horrible to Ann and Ryuji last night too. I need to call them and apologize to them." He continued as he distributed a big helping of curry onto two plates.

"Akira hang on-"

"Is it weird to have curry for breakfast? Do you even want curry? Sorry, I should have asked. I can always make something else if you want." 

Futaba stood up, leaving her coffee on the bar as she walked over to him, raising her voice ever so slightly to get through to him.

"Akira." She said sternly, finally silencing him.

"Come here."

He sighed as inched closer as she extended her arms, throwing them around him as he got close enough and pulling him into a tight hug. He tried to apologize again but she shushed him again.

"No more sorries. Let's start over."

"I…ok…morning."

"Good morning." She replied, squeezing him tighter.

"Sleep ok?" He asked.

"Yeah, I did surprisingly. You?"

"I've slept better." He replied flatly. "But I'm sure you already realized that."

"Yeah, you don't look so hot, hot stuff." She replied before breaking the hug and grabbing the plates of curry. "Some food will definitely help, come on, let's eat. Can you bring the coffee over?"

Akira nodded and went to pour his own cup before bringing it and Futaba's over to the booth that the pair had shared many times before, taking a seat next to her and digging into his breakfast. They ate in silence as Futaba studied him with concern only for them both be startled by a knock on the glass.

"We're closed," Akira called out, not even looking up from his breakfast. 

"Uh, Akira…" Futaba as their visitor knocked again, prompting him to look up and scowl at the woman on the other side of the glass.

"I said we're-Mom?"

Sone rubbed her arm sheepishly and put on a tender smile.

"Can I come in?"

…

After serving his mother some breakfast, Akira went back to eating his curry and sipping his coffee, his tired expression now earning him the concerned stares of both Futaba and Sone. Finally, after having wolfed down his curry, Akira broke the silence. 

"Where's Dad?"

"He got on the train home this morning. I leave in a few hours, but I wanted to come see you."

Akira nodded solemnly and took a sip of coffee.

"Guess I'm officially on my own now."

"Akira…" His mother said, reaching out and putting her hand on his forearm.

"…as long as you live, you will always be my son…and you will never face anything this world throws at you alone ever again." tears were forming in her eyes now.

"I know we've hurt you…I can't imagine how much we hurt you, sending you here all by yourself…but you have no idea how happy it makes me to see how much you've grown…I wish I had been here to see it all." She began.

"You're not the same boy that left us, and you have no idea how a proud I am of you…there's something in your eyes son, a fire you never had before, this city changed you…didn't it?" Her hand had moved to rest gently on his cheek.

His eyes met hers.

Memories of his time in Tokyo came to him all at once. Lunch with Ryuji at the beef bowl shop, supporting Ann at her various photo shoots, fishing with Morgana, people watching with Yusuke, exploring the city with Makoto. Helping Haru with her flowerbeds. Studying under Sojiro at Leblanc, setting Mishima back on the right path, shady clinical trials with Takemi, chipping away at Caroline and Justine's stone hearts, and campaigning with Yoshida. Gaming with Shinya, strategizing with Hifumi and defying fate alongside Chihaya. Helping Kawakami stand up for herself and getting her out of bad situation, facing down the Yakuza with Iwai and hunting down the truth with Ohya. Lastly, of course, there was stealing Futaba's heart. Spending countless nights out with her. A person who understood better than anyone else in the world. All this culminating with him summoning a demon to shoot a scheming a god in the face to save Christmas.

"You have no idea." He replied, a tiny sly grin emerging on his face.

"After everything that happened back home, you could have come here and changed into something terrible. Someone who was so consumed with anger and pain, all they could do was rage against a world that turned its back on you. Instead, I look around and all I see is all the people who love you. All the people who count on you. Futaba, your friends, Sojiro. You've become a man, the man I always knew you would be. One day I hope you'll tell me all about it, even the all the boring details that you'd think to leave out if you told anyone else your story.

"I will Mom, one day. It's a long story though." He told her.

"I can't wait to hear it, I hope that day comes soon." She replied, taking his hand and Futaba's guiding them together before putting her own hand on their own. 

"Until then, stay here, stay together…this is your home now. I want you to build the life that you want for yourself. You have my blessing." She pleaded, looking to the both of them. Futaba sniffled as she saw Akira's stoic mask fall away, he looked like the weight of the world had been lifted from his shoulders. 

"The only things I ask of you is this: Be happy, be better than us and never lose that fire in your soul. I haven't seen a light like yours in so many years. Whatever path you take, it will take you to places you could never imagine, and you will change the world. That son is who you are." 

A single tear streaked down Akira's face as he smiled warmly at his mother.

"Thanks, Mom." 

She slowly retracted her hand and turned her attention to her breakfast.

"Now, let's see what Mr. Sakura taught you about cooking." She said, excitedly rubbing her hands together before digging in.

…

After a second serving of curry for everyone present, Akira told his mother about some of his favorite times with Futaba, one of which being their first visit to the beach together along with the rest of their friends. The morning turned to afternoon, and Akira's mother stood up to leave, prompting Akira and Futaba to stand as well. Sone gave Futaba a hug, which caught her off guard at first, but she quickly returned the gesture.

"Take care of him please." She whispered.

"I will, I promise." The redheaded girl replied as they parted before she walked over to wrap Akira in her embrace.

"Call me if you need anything ok?" She told him.

"Ok, ok. I will." He assured her before they held the embrace in silence for a long while.

"I love you son."

"I love you too Mom."

They parted, and she wiped a solitary tear from her eye before turning and waving farewell to Futaba before she left Leblanc, leaving the two alone once again. As Akira gathered up the dishes, Futaba looked to her him, then his mother as she vanished from sight through the front window.

"She reminds me of you," Futaba told him as walked over to help him wash the dishes. 

"Oh yeah?" He asked, looking to her to pass the dish soap which she did without hesitation.

"Mhmm, and that fire she was talking about. I saw it too, I bet that's what your Dad was like when he was your age." She continued.

"Yeah, my Dad had his mind made up about what he wanted to be by the time he was in high school." He recalled, scrubbing fiercely at a bit of curry that refused to become dislodged.

"What made him want to be a doctor anyway?" She asked as Akira started handing her dishes to dry. There was a brief silence as Akira stopped washing, taking a deep breath before Futaba spoke up.

"We don't have to talk about him if you don't want to." She reminded him.

"No no, It's ok. It's just a sad story." Akira told her.

"My dad wasn't close with my grandpa, they were kinda like how me and him are now actually. Grandpa never put much stock in high education. Thought a man was supposed to work with his hands, nature was a better healer than any medicine that could be cooked up in a lab. old-fashioned stuff like that you know?" He explained, prompting Futaba to nod. 

"My great-grandfather loved the sciences though. He and my dad talked about the newest discoveries all the time. He told my dad that he could still remember when they started test flights with the Mitsubishi carrier-based fighter planes just before World War 2. It's probably his earliest memory. He even told my dad and his dad about the day when the atomic bomb got dropped on Nagasaki….he told him how he had these terrible burns; how his sister came out of their house with her skin hanging off her arms, only to die a few days later."

"That's awful." Futaba murmured.

"Yeah…so, as my great-grandfather got older, he started getting sicker, because of all the radiation he was exposed to. People around town started calling him a Hibakusha. They wouldn't let him work anywhere, no one would even consider taking his hand in marriage. That's actually why he and my great grandma ended up eloping. Her parents wouldn't have allowed the marriage if they hadn't run off. The years kept going by, they had kids, and my grandparent had my Dad and his brother. My great-grandfather became bedridden not long my dad turned 12. He told he'd climb up the side of the hospital and into my grandfather's room, which was on like the fourth floor, just so they could read the newest issues of National Geographic together." 

"Wow…so that's where you get your parkour skills from," Futaba said, giving her boyfriend a playful wink. 

"Yeah, I guess so." Akira chuckled as he shut off the water and started helping Futaba dry the last of the dishes as he continued. "After a while though, my grandfather was just tired, and his condition kept getting worse and worse. Machines were the only things keeping him alive by that point. So, my family brought him home from the hospital, and later that night he passed away in his sleep. Not long after, my dad started studying to be a doctor and he met my mom not long after."

"I envy him for that. He found his sense of purpose, and it carried him far. I'm still searching for mine though." The young man summarized, leaning up against the sink now that the dishes were done.

"You'll find it because your mom was right. Whatever you direct that fire of yours at, no matter what obstacles are there, you'll burn right through it and keep going. That's who you are, and that's what I fell in love with." She assured him, leaning against him.

"I thought it was my devilish good looks and boyish charm?" He replied, putting an arm around her. 

"Eh, that too." She teased before they stood in content silence for several minutes before Futaba spoke again.

"You have a lot of romancing to do if you're gonna make up for leaving me this morning you know." She grumbled jokingly, gently poking in the ribs several times.

"Yeah, I know…" Akira sighed and scratched the back of his head before picking Futaba up, making her squee in delight as she wrapped her legs around him.

"How about we lock up and go grab snacks, get set up in your room, put a podcast on and run a few bounty hunting missions in Elite Dangerous?" He asked her, resting his forehead against hers before planting two quick kisses on her neck. "Think that'll get me out of the doghouse?"

"Hmmm, it just might." She replied, suppressing her giggles as he walked the two them over to the bar, setting her down on it while she put her arms around his neck.

"We can go to the convenience store and grab those birthday cake flavored ice cream sandwiches, Shibuya."

"Keep talking," Futaba instructed. 

"We'll have a competition. First pilot to bring in 250,000 credits worth of bounties gets to be on top in the subsequent make-out session." Akira offered. 

"Alright Joker, you've got yourself a deal…I just hope that cocky smile of yours is taking into account the fact that this girl just acquired a Fer-De-Lance Heavy Fighter that I have elegantly dubbed _The Gunstar_."

Akira's eyes went wide in alarm.

"You're shitting me."

"Mwehehe 'fraid not pretty boy. Hope that little Viper Mark 3 of yours is more of a badass than it looks."

Akira narrowed his eyes.

"Don't you hate on _The Moonage Daydream._ " He grumbled.

Futaba stuck her tongue out at him mockingly as he picked her back up, tickling her sides for several seconds while she kicked and giggled before he set her down.

"Tickle me all you want, doesn't change the fact that I've got this little competition in the bag." She chided before walking towards the door with him in tow.

"As long as I've got David Bowie on my side, I can't lose." He retorted.

"Whatever you say, love." She replied flatly as her phone rang. Without even checking the caller ID she yanked her phone out of her pocket and answered it. 

"Hello?"

Akira could only watch as she nodded every now and then before a smile started to appear on her face.

"Ok…ok! Ok, yeah, I understand…I haven't checked my email yet but I will as soon as I get home. I was out having breakfast with my boyfriend…Ok, sounds good. Thanks, Doc! Bye!"

She hit end call and screeched in excitement, practically knocking Akira over as she crashed into him and hugging him as tight as she could.

"DAD IS COMING HOME TONIGHT!" She declared, tears streaming down her face.

…

Sojiro Sakura sighed as he reached the final step of the stairs that led to his front door and knocked on the front door, a manila envelope tucked under his arm and enough crappy hospital food in his belly to last a lifetime. Much to his surprise, the door didn't fly open to reveal an emotional Futaba. He knocked once more, a little more forcefully this time. Still no answer.

He sighed and shook his head as he fished his keys out of his pocket, unlocking the door and heading inside. As he entered there was a loud gasp followed by an enormous THWUMP.

"Owww…" Futaba groaned.

"Sorry did I scare you?" Sojiro asked, hearing Futaba gasp again, hearing her hop up and down a few times before she came flying out of the room in her black gym shorts and bright green Star Wars t-shirt that depicted the newest addition to the rebel fleet: The U-Wing.

"Sojiro!" She yelped as she ran into his waiting arms. "You're home!" She shouted hugging him as tight as she could, he only smiled and returned the gesture as Akira walked out of her room wearing a black hoodie with a spaceship on it, hood pulled up over his head. Without breaking stride he initiated a hug as well, which Sojiro did his best to return.

"The Leblanc Clan is back together!" Futaba exclaimed before they all broke apart.

"How are you feeling."

"Right as rain," Sojiro replied before turning on the hallway light. 

"Why are all the light off in here?" He muttered.

"Akira and I were racin through space a little while ago. Wanted to add to the atmosphere." Futaba explained.

"Or lack thereof," Akira added with a chuckle. 

"Space huh? Who won?" Sojiro wondered as he made his way to the living room.

"Futaba did," Akira grumbled. 

"Yup! My baby _The Gunstar_ kicked butt on her first voyage. Akira never saw it coming." She gloated, causing her boyfriend to stick his tongue out at her. 

"Akira are you cold?" Sojiro asked. "I can always turn off the AC. It does seem a little chilly in here."

"A little yeah, but don't worry about me. It's comfortable for you, keep the temperature where it is. I'll tough it out." He insisted.

"Alright…if you say so," Sojiro replied, sitting down in his recliner and putting his feet up. 

"Home sweet home." He said quietly. "I could fall asleep right here on this chair."

"Do you need anything?" Futaba asked.

"No, I'm ok. Right now, I just want to relax." He replied before looking at her with a furrowed brow. "Why is your face all red?"

"O-oh all red, its just cuz Akira and I just got back from grabbing some gas station sushi. The rolls we ended up getting were a lot spicier than we thought they'd be."

"Well Chief if there was one word to describe what was going on in there before you got there, it would definitely be spicy." Morgana teased as he exited Futaba's room trotting over to the recliner and hopping up into Sojiro's lap.

"Oh, hey Morgana, you miss me too little guy?" He asked scratching behind Mona behind his ears, eliciting a long purr. Sojiro then looked to Futaba.

"What'd he say when he came out here?"

"H-he said welcome back and that he missed you!" She stammered.

Mona gasped.

"Poor Sojiro, back home after a near death experience and you lie straight to his face! Shame on you Futaba, shame." The cat chided.

"And that?" Sojiro asked.

"He said that he's glad to see that you're ok. He was pretty worried on the train down here." Akira explained.

Moana gasped again.

"You too?"

"You know what Sojiro lemme take Mona from you, I think he needs a bath," Futaba said, narrowing her eyes at the sassy cat.

"Does he?" Sojiro asked, leaning down to sniff Mona before gagging.

"Oh boy, yeah he does. Take him Futaba."

"With pleasure." She replied, snatching up Mona and carrying him off to the bathroom as he yowled and hissed in protest. Akira laughed and shook his head and took a seat on the couch.

"How's everything been the past few days?" Sojiro asked, closing his eyes and reclining his chair.

"Stressful, but otherwise we've been good."

"I'm sorry, I really should be eating better at my age any-"

"It's not you," Akira told him. 

Sojiro opened one eye.

"If Futaba is pregnant I swear-"

"It's not that either…"

"Then what is it?"

Akira sighed heavily and told him about what had happened the previous night and ended up explaining how his parents threw him under the bus after he was charged with assault. As he went on Sojiro felt a pang of guilt resonate through his chest, recalling what he had told the young man when they first met.

" _The courts ordered you to transfer and move out here, which you parents also approved. In other words, they got rid of you for being a pain in the ass."_

' _If only I knew what I know now.'_ Sojiro thought to himself as Akira finished up his recap of the previous night.

"Sounds like you need a place to stay. Your bed is still in the attic. If you want to stay here with us, I'm all for it." Sojiro offered.

"Are you sure?" Akira asked.

"Are you kidding? Do you know how many customers I can attract with the leader of the Phantom Thieves as my partner?" His mentor replied with a chuckle.

"I'd be honored to continue acting as your partner," Akira replied with a smile. 

"Then its settled. You help me at Leblanc until closing, you can stay in the attic rent free. Internet and AC included too."

They both shared a short laugh before the house went quiet, save for Futaba's grumbling and the hum of the air conditioner.

"Summer is around the corner, you kids got any plans?" Sojiro asked, loud enough for Futaba to hear too.

"Oh OH! Haru said she was working on getting tickets to Tokyo Disney! We'll probably go the first week of summer break!" Futaba exclaimed.

"Oh really? Talk about starting the summer off with a bang!" Sojiro said with a chuckle "Well hopefully it works out and you all can go. Everyone needs a vacation now and then."

"Agreed," Akira muttered as he laid down on the couch. 

"Hey, pass me the remote, my favorite movie is on tonight. I was hoping I'd be back to watch it in the comfort of my own home." Sojiro instructed Akira complied gently tossing the remote to his coffee dad who flipped the tv on and quickly punched in a channel number. 

To Akira's shock, he watched as Leonardo DiCaprio materialized on the screen, standing on the bow of a mighty ship screaming his classic line: "IM THE KING OF THE WOLRD!"

"Your favorite movie is Titanic!?" Akira yelped.

"It's a beautiful film!" Sojiro protested.

"I'm not hating on it, I'm just surprised is all," Akira replied, throwing his arms up defensively. 

"What did you expect?"

"I don't know, maybe like Grand Torino or some other Clint Eastwood movie."

"He likes A Walk to Remember too!" Futaba called from the bathroom as the water was shut off.

"Wait really?" Akira asked, sitting up and turning to face Sojiro.

"Don't you tease him Akira, you cried for 45 minutes after we watched it back in January."

"Seriously?" Sojiro asked, sounding surprised.

"Well, it's a sad movie ok?" Akira grumbled, laying back down and returning his attention to the movie as Futaba came over and snuggled up to him on the couch. Sojiro chuckled and shook his head. 

"I'm glad your home kiddo." He said fondly.

"Seconded," Futaba added, giving her boyfriend a peck on the cheek before they all resumed watching the movie. Several minutes past before Sojiro spoke up.

"Oh Akira, before I forget. There's peppermint oil in the medicine cabinet. Should help with hickeys."

Futaba was shocked

"UHHH…"

"Come on you two, did you really think the whole hoodie to hide your hickeys trick would work on me? I invented that! You'll have to get up a lot earlier in the morning to fool Sojiro Sakura!"

Moraga, who was curled up on Akira's chest, was howling with laughter.

"THAT'S WHERE YOU GOT THAT IDEA FROM FUTABA?! THAT'S AMAZING!"

Sojiro chuckled at cat's strange vocalizations.

"What's he saying you two?"

"Nothing!" The hissed simultaneously, blushing furiously.

…

That night, Akira had a largely dreamless night. In the void of sleep, however, a familiar voice reached out to him.

Igor's voice.

"Hello, Trickster…I regret to inform you that my investigation has revealed very little about the fragments of the metaverse that still linger in the subconscious of Tokyo's inhabitants. However, now that I am free of the God of Control's imprisonment, I am slowly returning to full strength. However, in order to ensure we are able to counter this threat effectively, I will call upon others with the power of the wild card that I have previously forged contracts with to render their aid. Their assistance will be invaluable in the coming months. I have taken the liberty of attending to some unfinished business, the results of which you should see when you awake. I will summon you to the Velvet Room when a more substantial turn of events occurs. Enjoy your summer trickster, we shall speak again soon."

Akira's eyes opened as he felt a foreign weight on his chest, with his forehead resting against Futaba's he immediately began wondering what or who was laying on him as he turned his head to find a black fluffy haired kid laying on top of him. He strained to push the little guy off of him, startling him awake.

"Huh, wah? Akira what's-"

That voice…

The kid, who looked about 11 or 12 years old, was now sitting across from him on the couch, rubbing his eyes with the back of his hand. He wore black cargo shorts and a black pullover hoodie with gold accents running up the sleeves and a gold bandana loosely tied around his neck. His eyes slowly blinked open to reveal deep piercing blue orbs that stared at Akira with confusion.

"What's wrong?" He asked.

"Look at your hands, Mona." His friend managed. 

"Hands? What are you…hands…I have hands!?" The little boy asked as Akira shook Futaba's shoulder.

"Taba, wake up. We've got a situation." He told her, stirring the redhead from her sleep. She sat up with a yawn and fumbled for her glasses, which Akira passed to her without looking. 

"What's up?" She asked before squeaking in alarm.

"W-who is that?"

"Futaba, I'm human!" Mona declared triumphantly.

Futaba blinked once.

Twice.

"WHAT THE FU-!"

…

A.N-Yup! Mona is human now folks. The logistics of his transformation will be explained during our next full visit to the Velvet Room. I hope you all liked this chapter, it was a bit shorter than the last, but the next chapter is going to be about as twice as long as the last one. So long I decided to cut it into two chapters for ease of reading and editing. We'll be coasting on slice of life and fluff for a bit, as a bit of thank you to you all for enduring the crazy emotional rollercoaster that was the first act but expects things to get serious again as we end the summer (in the story). Also, I have been reading your reviews/comments and will respond to them ASAP. Finally, in case you haven't noticed, today's post is a double feature. Go ahead and read the next chapter and I'll see you on the other side of the time skip!

Thanks for reading!


	7. The Magic Kingdom

The Magic Kingdom

"I'm so excited!" Ann exclaimed as she and her friends strolled through the gates of Disneyland. The gang had been looking forward to this trip for weeks and now it was finally here. It was forecasted to be a partly cloudy day with light winds coming in from the east, with temperatures to never exceed 70 degrees Fahrenheit over the next three days. Their schedules were cleared, their biggest summer assignments were either done or well on their way to being completed. The next three days for them to laugh, scream and make memories.

Akira hadn't been to Disneyland in almost ten years, he and his parents had gone many times when he was a kid but once he started middle school, their visits became fewer and fewer in number until they stopped altogether.

 _You're too old for Disneyland_. His father had grumbled.

As they marched through the World Bazar arm in arm, at Ann's insistence, they did get some odd looks, but they were too happy to care. Futaba was smiling from ear to ear, while Mona examined his surroundings with fascination. Now that he was human, he saw the world in a whole new way. Makoto exuded a more relaxed aura now that she was away from the stress of her studies. Haru had noticed this too, regarding her friends with a great amount of fondness. She had made this possible for them, and they would make certain to show her their appreciation in the coming months. Ann was spouting off bits of trivia that captivated Makoto and Morgana while Ryuji, who had been playing down his excitement for the sake of being the cool stud of the group was now showing his age, already suggesting rides they should get on first. Yusuke was in awe of the Bazar's beauty and the sight of the castle that was the centerpiece of the park made him bring the group to a stop for a brief second, just so he could marvel at the structure.

Akira was surprised by the building's appearance, he thought the castle would somehow be smaller than he remembered but it still dominated the skyline of the park. Representing the hard work of those who worked to build this place. A place that had so much love and care put into every brick, every flowerbed, it was palpable. He may have been older since he was last here, but he knew this place was for everyone, a place where you could be a kid for a day. Something the world needed more of these days. The Castle and its surroundings were a monument to the power of imagination and dreams.

Akira's gaze shifted to his gaze to his girlfriend, someone who represented the core of all his hopes and dreams for the foreseeable future. Despite all that had happened these past few weeks, all his worries and doubts faded away and couldn't help but smile.

Today, the Phantom Thieves would take the Magic Kingdom by storm.

…

The line for Big Thunder Mountain Railroad was pretty short, but the Thieves chalked it up to the fact they bolted to it as fast as they could. The gang was all too excited to get Mona on his first roller coaster. The little guy had asked to ride with Futaba and Akira, a request that the pair had no trouble fulfilling. The group found themselves loaded onto the rear of the train in the second to last car, much to Ryuji's frustration as he declared the very last car to be the best on the train. Futaba, Akira, and Morgana sat in the first row with Ann and Ryuji behind them, behind them in the last row were Haru, Yusuke, and Makoto. Surprisingly, the ride's cast members were able to seat Yusuke with the girls as his slender frame meant he wouldn't be crushed by the girls as the train ripped across and through the mountains caverns and gorges.

"So, what's the story behind this one Akira?"

"What do you mean?" He asked.

"Well I heard every ride here has a story behind it, I was just wondering if you knew what this one was. Since you came here a lot when you were a kid."

"To be honest, I'm not sure if I remember."

"Well Morgana, hundreds of years ago, as the United States was expanding into the Old West, a group of miners struck gold near this very place. Big Thunder Mountain, but unbeknownst to them, this mountain was a sacred site of the local native tribes. As the stripped the mountain of its gold, the trains became cursed and started racing through the mountain, with no crew and no cargo. Some still venture into the heart of the American Southwest to this day, looking to take a trip on the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. The wildest ride in the wilderness.

The Cast Member checking lap bars gave her a thumbs up and a nod of approval, before heading back to his station to start the ride.

"C-cursed?" Morgana yelped as the train slowly pulled out of the station.

Ryuji chuckled before adding to Ann's story.

"Yup, they say the vengeful spirits will pluck cowardly riders from their seats and-"

"Ryuji!" Ann snapped as they were plunged into darkness, the only other sound being the ear-piercing whistle of the ghost train before it ascended to the top of the first lift hill. As they climbed, the gang marveled at the cave stalagmites which glowed an unearthly blue. As the chain lift clicked away, Makoto craned her neck to see ahead of them.

"Is the drop coming up?"

"I think it's after the waterfall…have you never ridden this before?"

"I only came here once as a kid and I never got on the roller coasters. I was too little!" Makoto replied.

"Here we go!" Ann exclaimed, putting her hands up as they began to crest the hill, passing under a small waterfall that sprayed them with a fine mist as they passed under it.

"Put your hands up Mona! It's more fun!" Ryuji encouraged his friend, who had a death grip on the lap bar. The screams from their fellow riders didn't help as their car was yanked down the first drop.

"NYAAAAAH!" Morgana yelped as they rocketed down a swooping dive to the left. Akira looked behind him to see Ryuji and Ann with their hands in the air having the time of their lives.

"WOOOOO!"

"HAHAAA YEAAAAH!"

Behind then, Makoto's eyes were wide with alarm and had linked arms with Haru and Yusuke who were laughing with delight as they crested a small bunny hill. Akira giggled as he felt his stomach and body linger in the air for just a few seconds before they were whipped into a hairpin turn to the left, racing through a narrow gorge and into a dark tunnel.

"You ok Mona?" Futaba asked as the train slowed, banking to the right and emerging from the tunnel before ascending its second lift hill. The little guy's hair was comically ruffled, and his eyes were wide, darting around as if he was trying to process what happened.

"Maybe roller coasters aren't for you buddy," Akira told him apologetically before he spoke.

"T-that…was…AWESOME!" He shouted, bouncing up and down in his seat.

"Is there more?" He asked, turning to look at Ann.

"You bet there is! Get ready and put your arms up! She replied.

"You too Makoto! If Mona can do it, I know you can!" Ryuji added.

"O-o-ok!" She replied as they near the top.

"Here we go, hold onto your butts' people!" Futaba shouted.

"Bring it on!" Mona declared, throwing his arms into the air as they were released from the chain lift and made another diving turn into the mountainside. The train whistle screeched again in unison with its riders and a mountain goat perched at the top a nearby outhouse bayed in concern. The ghost train tore through the cursed mountain, throwing its riders through tight turns and sudden drops, its pistons working overtime to pour on the speed as it thundered down the tracks.

Moana was having a blast now, earning him praise from Ryuji.

"ATTA KID!"

The train slowed a second time as it entered another tunnel before it was revealed their train was in peril. The cave was filled with dynamite, fuses lit and seconds away from detonation as the train crawled up the final lift hill.

"HEAVENS TO BETSY, SHE'S GONNA BLOW!" Futaba yelped, earning a laugh from her boyfriend. The cave rumbled as they neared the top of the last drop, the train's riders all whooped and hollered with excitement. Explosions could be heard behind them and Akira swore bits of rock were grazing his cheeks.

"Hands in the air everyone!" Ann commanded.

"Alright alright, here we go!" Makoto replied, grabbing Yusuke and Haru's hands and raising them into the air with her own.

"She's doing it!" Haru exclaimed.

"Hang on back there little missy!" Mona called out, putting on his best cowboy accent.

"WOO, GO QUEEN!" Futaba cheered as she grabbed Akira's hand as the train lurched forward, unleashing a final triumphant whistle as it roared down the final drop, shooting down into a shallow canyon before climbing out and snapping the left. The train's riders yelled and screamed, but Morgana easily outclassed them all.

"YEEEHAW!" He shouted, prompting his friends to burst out in laughter as the train bucked and jinked through the last few turns and drops before chugging into the station. The Thieves all cheered as they came to a stop, clambering out and heading for the exits.

"Can we go again?" Ryuji asked.

"I'm down," Futaba replied.

"I certainly wouldn't mind," Yusuke said, a broad smile on his face.

Haru, who was still holding Makoto's hand, turned to her friend.

"You wanna go again?"

Makoto nodded excitedly.

"It was a lot of fun, I think I'll be better the second time around. I just didn't know what to expect."

"If your still scared, I can always ride with you, Queen." Morgana offered.

"Actually, I think I'll take you up on that Mona. Maybe your bravery will rub off on me." She replied, playfully ruffling his already messy hair.

"I'll ride with Yusuke then, I promise not to crush your hand," Haru said turning to the boy, who was massaging his fingers.

"That would be most welcome." He replied as everyone chuckled at his predicament before they hopped back in line.

…

Yusuke was another member of the team who had never been to Disneyland and wanted to ride as many of the classics that his friends spoke of as he could. After their second run on Big Thunder Mountain, the Thieves set their sights on the next mountain. With Futaba realizing it was a perfect opportunity for Morgana and Makoto to puts some more perk points into their guts stat. They needed to be ready for their ultimate challenge that would come at the end of the day. For now, though, Splash Mountain was the next mountain the Phantom Thieves would conquer. As they made their way towards the front of the line, they chose seat partners. Yusuke, upon hearing this was a story heavy ride insisted upon sitting up front, joining Akira. Futaba took up the second row with Makoto. Ryuji and Morgana took up the third row leaving Haru and Ann in the back. As they took their seats in their log, Yusuke noticed how wet the front row seats were.

"Perhaps we've made a mistake." He mumbled.

"Eh, the sun will dry us off as it gets warmer," Akira told them.

"Very true." His friend replied as the log departed the station with the vehicle coming to a stop at the bottom of the initial lift hill, so the Thieves could be briefed on appropriate safety measures by a large frog.

"What is that thing?" Mona pondered.

"An Audio animatronic."

"A wah?"

"A robot."

"Ohhhh, ok. It looks so real."

"Yeah, crazy huh? That's an older model too. Wait until you see the newer ones." Ryuji told him as they ascended the mountain.

As their little log floated down the river, the group was immersed in the sights and sounds of the southeastern United States. Crickets chirped, banjos twanged, and the early afternoon sun's heat was countered by the cool clear murky water. Soon the thieves found themselves venturing through the forest, home to all kinds of animals, all of whom were surprisingly proficient in making music. Much to Yusuke's delight.

"The work that must have been put into to make such a place, and build it last for generations. Remarkable."

"Very much so, I can't imagine how many families have been through here, with even more destined to come back at some point with their own kids," Makoto added.

"I remember when my mom and I first came here. She saved up for a whole year, so we could come for the long weekend. She loves this place, I remember her eyes lighting up when she saw the castle for the first time." Ryuji said with a wistful sigh.

"I wish we could come back, just me and her."

"Well maybe in a few years, when you have a family, you can take her with you guys. Imagine the look on her face when her grandkids stop and stare at the castle for the first time." Haru offered.

"Wouldn't that be something," Ryuji said with a chuckle.

The Thieves returned their attention to the plight of Briar Rabbit, who was off in search of something called a laughing place. Although none of the thieves knew exactly what that was exactly, they started to grow worried for the rabbit's well being as it became apparent he was being followed.

"Perhaps Briar Fox and his lackey could do with a change of heart." Yusuke mused.

"Well, the only thing that fox wants is dinner so I'm not sure what that would entail." Futaba countered.

"I guess a change of heart would make him a vegan?" Akira offered.

"This all assumes he has a Palace in the first place," Makoto added.

"True…" Yusuke replied, stroking his chin thoughtfully.

"Hey wait a minute I don't remember the drop being this-EARLY!" Ryuji yelped as the log was plunged into darkness. Akira laughed at the rest of his friends screeching as small wave water rolled across the log, getting them all a bit wet.

"Well, I suppose that's why they call it Splash Mountain." Yusuke chuckled.

"I was actually expecting worse…" Makoto muttered.

Akira and Futaba did their best to suppress their knowing snickers as their log floated past a dozen buzzing beehives, the insects humming happily as they worked. In the dim blue light of the cavern, the thieves could make out the sight of Briar Bear, snout deep in a beehive, yelping as he was stung by an unseen number of fuzzy pollinators. Downstream, Briar Rabbit howled in laughter at the bear's predicament, not seeing an angry looking fox sneaking up on him. As they continued into depths of the cave, they heard a scuffle behind them.

"Quite the predicament. I wonder how he'll escape." Yusuke mumbled.

"He really has no idea huh?" Futaba whispered.

"I think he's too busy admiring it all to think about it, I was that way when I came here the first time," Akira told her as they entered a darkened room. Up ahead they could hear Briar Rabbit calling for help while Briar Fox barked orders at his companion. Above them, two dapper-looking vultures sat perched on a branch, mocking the Thieves as they passed under them and began their ascent.

"So, you're looking for a laughing place too huh? We'll show you where it is. It's right up here." They sneered.

As the log climbed to the mountain's summit, it creaked and groaned. The happiness of the forest that had become familiar to them seemed miles away. They were in deep trouble, as was Briar Rabbit, who was tied up and sitting atop a pile of wood while Briar Fox licked his lips, digging around for something to light a fire with.

"Please, Briar Fox! Think about this, you can cook me, you can eat me but whatever you do, don't chuck me into that there briar patch!" The Rabbit pleaded.

"Time to turn around! Oh, if only you could!" The vultures called out as the log neared the summit, the screams of the riders in the log in front of them finally flipped a switch in Yusuke's head.

"Akira, what is up here exactly?" He asked, probably already knowing the answer.

"The only way off this mountain," Akira replied.

"Wait a minute, what's a briar patch?" Makoto wondered as their little log finally reached the summit of the mountain.

"Hands in the air everybody!" Haru decreed.

"HANG ON MONA!" Ryuji shouted as a loud THUNK resonated through the log.

"AUGGGGGGHUAAHH!"

The log practically sprang forward, rattling down the side of the mountain as the Thieves screamed with a mix of delight and fear. Akira's heart rose into his throat and the wind rippled through his hair as their trusty log dove towards the thorn-covered branches below, putting as much distance between Briar Fox and its occupants as it could as fast possible. As they reached the safety of the Briar Patch, a wave of water crashed over their heads, soaking just about everyone in the log. As music filled the air, the thieves all burst out in laughter.

"Oh man, that was scarier than I remember!" Ryuji said with a chuckle.

"Back row is the best row!" Ann and Haru called out in unison.

"Ah man I'm soaked, but I want to go again just for the end!" Mona exclaimed.

Makoto was dying of laughter, clinging to Futaba's arm and struggling to catch her breath.

"Did you guys hear Yusuke?" She asked before bursting into another fit of giggles.

"Of course, we heard him, how could we not!? Ann asked, now laughing as well.

"I'm pretty sure the whole park heard him," Futaba added, now laughing with Makoto.

"I can't wait to see the pictures."

"Pictures?" Mona asked as they floated through the final musical number, passing under a banner that read: Welcome Home Briar Rabbit!

"Yeah, they take your picture when you go down the drop," Futaba explained.

"Cool!" Moana beamed as their log drifted back into the station, with Briar Rabbit safely home and Briar Fox being menaced by a crocodile. Akira shook his head and laughed as he cleaned the water droplets off his glasses, turning to his friend who was soaked from head to toe and put a hand on his shoulder.

"And _that_ is why it's called Splash Mountain buddy." He told his friend who couldn't help but laugh at himself.

…

At 11:30, the gang decided to grab lunch at Captain Hook's Gallery in Fantasyland. The Thieves were more than happy to be off their feet for a good 20 to 30 minutes as an early lunch meant they would beat the crowds who would be coming into every conceivable restaurant in the park looking to feed their cranky children and when that happened, the 40-minute wait for the Haunted Mansion would plummet to 15 minutes, perhaps 20 at the most. From there they would rush to Tomorrowland's newest attraction; Big Hero 6: Rush Hour. Rumored to be one of the most technologically advanced rides in the entire park. For now, though, they were content with eating their pizza and waiting for their Splash Mountain photo to arrive on the park's official app.

Morgana was on his third slice of seafood pizza, and Yusuke snacked on baked cheese potato while Futaba sipped on her soda and, looking to her phone and sighing impatiently as she awaited the arrival of what she was sure would be the greatest picture she had ever had the privilege of being in. Ryuji and Ann were reminiscing about past visits to the park while Haru showed Makoto her pin collecting lanyard, she apparently had 3 but the one she had brought with her today was her favorite. It was adorned with pins from various rides like Space Mountain and Indiana Jones to character specific ones like Mulan, Rapunzel and of course Mickey and Minnie. Makoto, in the middle of a severe geek out, wanted to get her own collection started ASAP and was asking if Haru would help her with the search for her first pins.

"Of course!" She exclaimed.

"GUYS ITS HERE!" Futaba yelped.

"It is? Lemme see!" Ann exclaimed, running over to her friend's side of the table.

"It's glorious!" Futaba declared, threating to explode into a fit of giggles. "Look!" She demanded, showing her boyfriend the picture. Akira laughed and shook his head as he absorbed all the details.

In the back of the log, Ann adopted her signature modeling pose. Her index and middle finger forming a V shape that she had twisted at a 90-degree angle and placed over her left eye. Haru had her arms in the air, her eyes squeezed shut, and her mouth wide open. The expression was undoubtedly one of joy. In front of them was Mona who had assumed a similar pose to Haru except his eyes were wide open in surprise and excitement. It almost looked like he had spotted someone's treasure at the bottom of that drop. Ryuji had a cocky grin on his face, looking right into the camera and holding up the sign of the horns on both hands. Next was Futaba who was also looking into the camera, sticking out her tongue and leaning forward to give Akira a pair of bunny ears with her fingers. Next to her was Makoto who was bear hugging the redhead's free arm with both of her own, her eyes were shut tight but it was clear her scream was based more in joy than fear and then there was Akira who's eyes were wide in alarm, lips parted and teeth clenched tightly in fear, he had a death grip on the lap bar, his white knuckles easily visible in the picture. Yusuke didn't look any better, the camera caught him mid-scream, one eye partially open with the other shut tight. His long arms were fully extended into the air and it looked like he was leaning backward like the wind was pressing him flat against the log. It was as if someone had taken a freeze frame of an anime character being punched and or thrown into the stratosphere and photoshopped him into the ride photo.

Futaba was leaning against Akira now, laughing so hard there were tears streaming down her face. She pointed up at him as she passed the phone to the others, barely managing to get out any words.

"He looks like he's constipated!" She shouted before falling into her boyfriend's lap and laughing even harder as the phone was passed around. Ryuji and Ann were the next to see and while Ryuji startling cackling, Ann turned to Haru and raised up her hand

"Back row for life, hell yeah?"

Haru high fived her as firmly as she could before taking the phone.

"Hell yeah!" She exclaimed, nodding in approval before looking at the photo.

"Aw Mako-chan!" She whimpered before she put an around her and squeezed her.

"It's ok Haru, Futaba helped me out a lot." She replied before chuckling at Yusuke and Akira's expressions.

"Hey, can I see?" Mona asked, reaching out to Makoto who nodded and handed him the phone.

"Hey Futaba, make sure you send that to all of us ok?" Haru said before releasing Makoto from her embrace.

"Yeah yeah, I will don't worry." She wheezed.

"I can't believe, of all the things you could have done, you gave me bunny ears," Akira said shaking his head at his girlfriend. "You're an even bigger dork than me."

"Well, then we should ask ourselves what makes me the bigger dork. You're the dork who wanted to go out with me." Futaba protested, sitting up and wiping the last of her tears away.

"Hey, you two can have your dork off later, I just checked the lines. Haunted Mansion is down to ten minutes." Mona chided, handing Akira the phone.

"WHAT?!" Ann and Ryuji yelped before scrambling to their feet.

"We gotta go!" Haru exclaimed as she started cleaning up her area of the table.

"Let's wake up, get up and get out there team!" Futaba declared, hopping to her feet as the group set off on their next adventure.

…

The app had lied…somewhat. The wait was actually closer to twenty-five minutes but even then it was close what they had been planning on at lunch, so the Thieves couldn't complain too much but after a brief wait, they found themselves in the center of darkened octagonal room, adorned with multiple portraits, presumably of the occupants and owners of the mansion. As the cast members ushered the last of the guests into the center of the room, Haru found her way to Akira's side.

"Hey, can we talk for a moment." She asked.

"Something wrong?" Akira asked, turning to face her.

"Well not yet…but I'm worried…ugh, I'm not making sense, am I?"

"Not yet no."

"Its…It's about Makoto." She explained. "These past few months we've been growing a lot closer and last week I realized something…I think I have a crush on her."

Akira's eyes widened in surprise, but then he looked at Makoto who was speaking with Ann and Ryuji regarding the ride's history.

"Does she know?"

"Not yet, I've been trying to lay down some hints but I'm not sure if its working or if she just thinks I'm acting strangely."

"Well, Makoto can be a bit oblivious to subtle things like that, especially in regard to romance. You may need to be a bit more direct."

"Will you help?" She asked. "I-I really want this to work…I hope for us to have what you and Futaba have."

"Of course, I'll help." He assured her. "My advice right now, ride with her on this one. Horror is your specialty, make it fun for her."

Haru nodded and smiled.

"Ok, ok I'll start there."

"Report back in an hour." He told her.

"You got it." She replied before walking off to see her crush.

"What was that about?" Futaba asked, sliding into place at her boyfriend's side."

He leaned over and whispered into her ear, explaining what had just happened.

"No way! Makoto was talking to me about having a crush on Haru like two weeks ago." Futaba yelped almost a little too loud.

"Really?"

"Yeah!"

There was a brief silence.

"We gotta get them together by the end of the summer."

"Well duh, this school year is going to be nuts for both of them. If they don't get together soon, who knows who will woo them instead?! It's now or never."

"We cannot fail."

"We won't, it's us remember?" She replied with a cocky smile as Morgana squeezed between the two of them examining his surroundings with curiosity when a menacing sounding man began to speak.

"Welcome, foolish mortals, to the Haunted Mansion. I am your host, your _ghost_ _host_. Kindly step all the way in please and make room for everyone. There's no turning back now. Our tour begins here in this gallery, where you see paintings of some of our guests as they appeared in their corruptible, mortal state."

Akira heard Morgana audibly gulp and in the corner of his eye, he could see Makoto scoot a little closer to Haru.

"Your cadaverous pallor betrays an aura of foreboding, almost as though you sense a disquieting metamorphosis." Ghost Host continued as the walls seem to rise around them.

"Is this haunted room _actually_ stretching? Or is it your imagination…hmm? And consider this dismaying observation: this chamber has no windows and no doors… which offers you this chilling challenge: to find a way out!

The innocent portraits from earlier now showed their true more frightening colors. The girl with a parasol stood on a tightrope that was heavily frayed. An elderly woman sat atop her husband's grave with a quaint smile on her face, the tombstone depicting an older gentleman with an ax embedded in his head. A balding pants-less man with tired eyes stood atop a barrel of dynamite with a startlingly short lit fuse.

"Brilliant," Yusuke whispered, a grin forming on his face as their ghost host cackled maniacally.

"Of course, there's always my way." Ghost Host sneered.

 _A thunderclap shook the room and the lights went out, Morgana jumped at the sound of a woman screaming as a corpse was revealed to be hanging above them by the neck. Then as the lights came back on, a set of doors straight ahead opened with startling speed._

"Oh, I didn't mean to frighten you prematurely. The real chills come later. Now, as they say, 'look alive,' and we'll continue our little tour. And let's all stay together, _please_."

The group started walking forward into the mansions sprawling corridors, startled by busts that watched their every move and suits of armor that seemed to be drawing labored breath. As the group moved on, Yusuke lingered in the stretching room, admiring the paintings that adorned the walls until a voice that was most definitely not that of the Ghost Host hissed at him.

"GET OUT."

The young artist hurried out of the room, looking to catch up with his friends as quickly as possible. They passed mirrors, the noticed they were already being escorted down the final impossibly long corridor by a handful of ghosts. All the while, Ghost Host taunted them.

"There are several prominent ghosts who have retired here from creepy old crypts all over the world. Actually, we have 999 happy haunts here, but there's room for 1,000."

Their host chuckled to himself before continuing.

"Any volunteers?If you insist on lagging behind, you may not _need_ to volunteer."

They now stood at the station, watching as their fellow riders were loaded onto their Doom Buggies. Akira, Futaba, and Mona would head up the group while Yusuke volunteered to go it solo this time around to simplify things and thus would be at the tail end of the group. Ann and Ryuji paired off to be the third buggy leaving Haru and Makoto to take up the 2nd buggy.

"And now, a carriage approaches to take you into the boundless realm of the supernatural. Take your loved ones by the hand, please, and kindly watch your step. Oh yes, and no flash pictures, _please._ We spirits are frightfully sensitive to bright lights."

Haru climbed ushered Makoto into their buggy, taking her hand to steady her. Akira and Futaba voice their approval quietly.

"Smooth Haru," Akira whispered.

"Very," Futaba added before turning her attention to Morgana.

You ready for this?"

"Y-yeah of course! I can totally handle this s-stuff." He replied.

"Do not pull down on the safety bar, please. _I_ will lower it for you. And heed this warning: the spirits will materialize only if you remain safely seated with your hands, arms, feet, and legs inside. And watch your children, please." Ghost Host chided as they pulled forward, entering the heart of the legendary Haunted Mansion.

As the doom buggies lumbered forward, Akira put an arm around Futaba and Morgana who squished in a bit closer to him as they passed through the room which contained the Endless Staircase. A series of steps that stretched up, down, side to side for miles and miles with no end in sight, intersecting, going over and under itself at multiple points. Spectral footprints could be seen going up and down the steps at varying speeds, with some slowing to a halt as the doom buggies crawled by.

"Where does it all go?" Mona wondered allowed as they continued deeper into the mansion.

"No one knows," Futaba replied, trying to sound as ominous as possible.

"The history of the mansion is surrounded by mystery and half-truths. No one really knows what power keeps nearly 1000 ghosts in one place and everyone always come to their conclusion at journey's end. Keep your eyes peeled, you just might solve the mystery." Akira added as their buggy slowly spun around allowing Akira and Futaba to get a good look at Haru and Makoto, who were pressed together in their buggy, Haru pointing out little things that Makoto likely wouldn't have noticed on her own.

Futaba and Akira exchanged knowing looks before turning their attention back to the occupants of the mansion. On either side of a seemingly endless hallway, doors opened and closed on their own while others shook and rattled, threatening to fly off their hinges.

Whispers, wails, and growls snaked into their ears as they descended a staircase, once again becoming submerged in darkness. In the shadows, yellow eyes could be seen, scowling at the buggies as they crept by, entering a dimly lit room occupied by a single spirit. A disembodied head floating above a table and enclosed in a glass ball. The head chanted as the mansion's guests ventured onward.

"Serpents and spiders, tail of a rat... Call in the spirits, wherever they're at…Rap on a table, it's time to respond... Send us a message from somewhere beyond." She called, her only response came from the floorboards creaking and groaning under the weight of the passing buggies.

As the guests left the head to its séance circle, they entered a beautiful ballroom that was brimming with ghosts, who were acting surprisingly lively. One came flying in through the window before zipping upwards and vanishing as he met the ceiling. Down below, three finely dressed men conversed with hushed voices as a half a dozen ghosts spun around on the dancefloor, dancing to a distorted waltz, allowing the buggies to pass them unabated.

"It's a party…" Mona murmured, prompting Akira to nod.

"It never stops either." He explained.

"I don't know if I can dance to the same song for all eternity." Futaba pondered.

"Depends on the song," Akira replied.

"The partner as well I bet," Mona added.

"Yeah, that's probably the most important part."

"So, if you Futaba had to dance to the same song forever, what would it be?" Mona inquired.

"Hmmm, not sure," Akira answered, scratching the back of his head.

"We don't really have a song huh?" Futaba realized.

"Not really no." Her boyfriend said shaking his head.

"That's crazy, that's like one of the big rules for being in love! You have to have a song for when you dance at your wedding." Mona chided, causing his friends to blush.

"Guess we'll have to work on that." The redheaded girl whispered, her thoughts briefly wandering off to see all possibilities.

The Doom Buggies were traversing through the attic now, which was filled with cobwebs and dust as well as an assortment of junk. Suitcases, lamps, piles, and piles of books and more. Most curiously, however, was the many many paintings that were scattered amongst the junk.

"Hey …she looks familiar…" Mona muttered before his eyes widened, Akira could see the gears in his head turning.

"Is she the woman from the stretching room, the one who was sitting on her husband's tombstone."

"That's right," Futaba said with a nod, giving Akira a knowing glance.

"What in the hell is going on in this mansion…" Mona muttered as the continued onward, seeing more and more of the paintings. In each one, the widow had another string of pearls around her neck, as they passed the final painting, Mona narrowed his eyes and scanned the junkpile.

"Hatboxes…how many hats does one person need?"

"I mean she is filthy rich. Especially after being widowed like three or four times." Futaba reasoned.

"How suspicious…" Mona muttered as the sound of slow steady heartbeat resonated through the doom buggy, growing louder and louder as they rounded the next corner, coming face to face with a pale woman in an elegant bridal gown. Her eyes startlingly wide, seemingly staring into the souls of the mansion's guests as they passed, muttering to herself all the while.

"In sickness and in… wealth. You may now kiss the bride. We'll live happily ever after. Till _death_ do us part. Here comes the bride. As long as we _both_ shall live. For better or for… worse. I do."

A hatchet slowly materialized in her trembling hands.

"I _did_."

Moana looked at Akira nervously and slowly mouthed the word: _no._ Behind them, he could hear Makoto squeak in fear as yelp about creepy this all was as they all neared their next ghostly encounter. A man in black with a ghastly face jeered at them as they passed, holding a cane in one hand and a hatbox in the other. In the blink of an eye, his head vanished from its rightful place atop his shoulders and materializing in the box, still smiling at the passing guests.

For Moana, this confirmed his fears.

"She killed them?!" He yelped as the Doom Buggy spun around and tilted backward, falling away from the mansion, the bride and the mysterious ghost who had just helped Mona piece everything all together.

"Yes, she did, and that guy just showed us how it all went down. She cut her husband's heads off, stuffed them in boxes and stole their wealth but now she's trapped in the mansion, a place she coveted so much, forever." Futaba explained as the buggy marched onward through the graveyard, passing a caretaker and his whimpering dog in the process.

"Who was that guy?" Moana murmured, scratching his head as he tried to think back to the stretching room.

"He is known only as The Hatbox Ghost. Master of the Endless Staircase, and protector of all haunted places around the world. He's been gone for a while, but he returned at long last just a few years ago, warning visitors of his wife's true nature." Futaba continued.

"Wow…" Mona muttered before a grin formed on his face. "This place is creepy, but it's really cool." The buggies paraded through the graveyard, passing singing busts, and spirits enjoying each other's company as well as whiskey, all singing a morbid but surprisingly upbeat song. As they exited the graveyard, the voice of Ghost Host returned for one last scare.

"Ah, there you are! And just in time… there's a little matter I forgot to mention: beware of hitchhiking ghosts!" He sneered as they passed a trio of ghosts, all sticking their thumbs out in hopes of catching a ride, the buggies continued without slowing, as Ghost Host chuckled at them.

"They have selected you to fill our quota, and they'll haunt you until you return!" He exclaimed as the buggies passed a row of mirrors, revealing to Mona that a ghost had taken up a spot next to him earning a surprised gasp from the youngest phantom thief.

"G-g-ghost!" He yelped as the buggy pulled into the station.

"Now _I_ will raise the safety bar, and a ghost will follow you home!" Their host exclaimed as the three exited their Doom Buggy and heading for the exit with their friends in tow as a tiny ghost perched above the doorway bid them farewell.

"Hurry back! Hurry back! Be sure to bring your death certificate… if you decide to join us. Make final arrangements now! We've been _dying_ to have you…"

…

After hitting up both the new Big Hero 6 and much beloved the Monsters Inc ride, the thieves found themselves in line for another Disney classic. Star Tours, which had received some upgrades in recent years that they were all excited to see firsthand. They stood under a screen showing estimated arrival and departure times to various planets like Endor, Bespin, and Tatooine. They all appeared to be running on time, save for Flight 1138 whose flight to Alderaan had been canceled due to 'unforeseen circumstances'. All of the thieves, save for Mona, were familiar enough with Star Wars to recognize the gold protocol droid overseeing their Starspeeder's final preflight checks in addition to a blue Astromech droid who bleeped and chirped at his fussy companion as he demanded he double then triple check every single little thing on the ship.

"So, what's Star Wars about exactly?" Moana asked his friends, feeling a little lost as they inched their through the 40-minute queue.

Futaba turned around to face her friend, putting her arms up and halting everyone who was prepared to explain to him.

"Guys, I've got this." She told them before looking to Mona.

"A long time ago, in a galaxy far far away…" She began.

"The galaxy is dominated by the Galactic Empire, who brought through peace through fear and tyranny after years and years of war ravaged the galaxy. With the Empire's rise, however, came the fall of the Jedi Knights. Guardians of peace of justice that served the Old Republic, the Empire's predecessor. With the Jedi all but destroyed, things seemed hopeless, until one day, a daring strike was made against the Empire by the brave soldiers and pilots of the Rebel Alliance, a resistance movement that looked to overthrow the Empire. Now, after the destruction of the planet killing space station known as the Death Star, war rages across the stars as the brave Rebels; led by the dashing rogue Han Solo, the indomitable and fearless Princess Leia and the brave Luke Skywalker, the last of the Jedi. Together they struggle against the Empire, all the while preparing themselves for their next encounter with the most feared man in the galaxy: Darth Vader, Dark Lord of the Sith. The ancient enemy of the Jedi Order. Only by defeating him and his evil master can the heroes of the rebellion restore balance to The Force and restore peace and justice across the galaxy."

Moana was enraptured by the tale as Futaba told him of Stormtroopers, TIE Fighters, X-Wings, bounty hunters, droids and the Millennium Falcon. All while carefully darting around as many major spoilers as she could. Her crash course on all things Star Wars was so captivating, the next forty minutes flew by in the blink of an eye.

As they neared the front of the line, they sorted themselves into seating order. Morgana positioned himself between Akira and Futaba. Next to her was Yusuke and Makoto, followed by Haru and Ryuji. Soon they boarded starspeeder, its repulsor humming quietly as their ship slowly lifted off the flight deck. The radio crackled to life as the ship's engines rumbled and whirred.

"Star Tours 1401, you are cleared for departure." The station controller instructed. 

"1401? That's us! We can't take off. The captain isn't onboard!" C-3PO protested.

"Auto takeoff sequence initiated." The ship's flight computer announced, apparently disregarding his remarks.

"Oh no! Um, excuse me, you don't seem to understand. I am not the captain. I am C-3PO." A familiar voice yelped as the viewport blast shield came down, revealing the golden protocol droid that was sitting in the captain's chair.

"1401, cleared for takeoff. Contact frequency on four-two-niner." The station controller replied flatly despite the droids continued protests as a droid hovered into place in front of them, holding up two batons of orange light.

"Follow me."

The plucky astromech R2-D2, assuming command of the ship, complied with its instructions and began taxing forward, carefully lining up for takeoff on the departure lane of the flight deck, much to his coworker's chagrin.

"R2-D2, I am not programmed to fly these things. Now, just turn us around this instant before we get into trouble!"

R2-D2 dismissed his concerns with a whistle as the marshal droid floated away only to be replaced by a black-suited man on a hover platform, accompanied by a dozen or more Stormtroopers who trained their weapons on the viewport of the speeder as the man extended his hand.

"Halt!" He bellowed as the speeder lurched forward before stopping in place as the Imperial March played in the background. Mona scowled at the Sith Lord.

"Vader." He muttered.

"Don't shoot!" 3PO pleaded.

"Prepare to be boarded, Captain." The Dark Lord growled as a group of Stormtroopers advanced on the speeder as the protocol droid tried to call them off, insisting this was all a terrible misunderstanding.

"We know you have this Rebel spy onboard." Vader snapped as the wall mounted datapad activated in the speeders cabin, scrolling through what must have been a hundred pictures before coming to a stop on Mona's, prompting the Thieves to all whoop in surprise.

"Uh oh!" The young phantom thief exclaimed.

"Mona! You're a spy?!" Ryuji yelped.

"I've never seen that person before." 3PO insisted before turning around and looking right at Mona.

"Oh dear…Gotta go!" The droid said quickly, applying full reverse thrust.

"Don't underestimate my power!" Vader snarled, reaching out and seizing the ship with the force. The ship's engines roared, trying to produce enough thrust to pull itself from Vader's grip but the Dark Lord held them in place as two TIE Fighters floated towards them, ready to engage the speeder should it try anything else.

"I want that spy!" Vader shouted as R2 chirped and whistled, deploying the speeder's defensive laser cannons and firing off several shots in rapid succession, forcing Vader to release the ship and deflect the laser bolts with his lightsaber as the speeder flew backwards out of the Star Tours Terminal, TIE Fighters charging at in head on, opening fire as 3P0 called for his co-pilot to put the shields up.

"Goodness, R2! Someone could get hurt!" He yelped as they began moving forward again, the power of the ship's engines pinning the Thieves back into their seats as R2 reduced an attacking TIE to space junk as the skimmed the belly of a Star Destroyer.

"Lightspeed, R2! Now!" 3PO commanded as the ship's internals hummed and whirred, the entire ship shook as the vast starfield ahead of the stretched and stretched before they were launched into hyperspace, causing everyone on the speeder to holler and scream in excitement.

R2-D2 chirped in alarm as the speeders came screaming down into the atmosphere of the ice planet Hoth as the flight computer started beeping and buzzing in alarm. 

"Warning. Pull up. Pull up!" It exclaimed as the speeders belly slammed into the snow banks below, bouncing up and sending vibrations through the whole ship.

"Thruster malfunctioning." The flight computer cautioned prompting 3PO to examine the ship's diagnostic panel.

"Thrusters? Are they important?" He muttered as two snow speeders pulled in front of the speeder, prompting the pilot to hail them.

"Star Tours, this is a restricted area! What are you doing here?" He grumbled as 3PO expressed his confusion only for the pilot to cut him off.

"Stay clear of the combat zone!" He ordered.

The protocol droid seemed alarmed by this development as R2 whistled and blooped, warning him of the rapidly approaching danger. 

"Combat zone? Oh no!"

The speeder skimmed just above a massive ground battle between the Rebels and the Empire, speeders raced along the surface of the ice and snow, strafing infantry before climbing up and away from the battle to avoid enemy anti-aircraft fire or TIE fighters looking for an easy kill. The most menacing combatant was the massive four-legged walker that plodded across the open battlefield, its two laser cannons pounding entrenched rebels into submission before turning the weapons on the commercial speeder. The entire craft trembled, and the engines fell silent as the speeder made a shallow dive towards the ice.

"We've been hit! Brace yourselves!" 3PO yelped as the speeder struck the ground, sliding under the AT-AT before coming to a stop at the edge of a nearby cliff.

"Nobody move!" The protocol droid shouted as Makoto grabbed onto Haru, seemingly cause the speeder to slowly tilt forward, revealing the long fall that was about to befall them. Ryuji jokingly turned to Makoto and raised his eyebrows as if to say

 _You almost killed us!_

"I mean, everybody move! Lean back!" 3PO yelped, leaning backward in his seat as two speeders screamed overhead, the large downwash created by their passing pushing the nose of the speeder down and sending it careening down the mountainside. The girls screamed in delight and then in fear as the speeder went flying off another cliff, falling towards the ground at an ever-increasing speed as the ship's engines sputtered and groaned. The entire speeder shook, threatening to start tumbling end over end through the air.

"Oh dear! Please! R2, do something!" The protocol droid wailed as the engines finally came alive again, and the speeder lurched forward at top speed, climbing out of Hoth's atmosphere and into the stars, the speeder's rumbling ceased, and the passengers breathed a sigh of relief.

R2 finally broke the silence with a single chirp, informing his colleague of an incoming transmission before a hologram appeared in the cabin. The woman was dressed in white and her hair was fashioned into two buns on either side of her head.

"I am Princess Leia of Alderaan. We've placed a Rebel spy vital to the survival of the Rebellion into your Star Speeder. You must see him safely delivered to the coordinates I am transmitting to your R2 unit. This is our most desperate hour. Help me, Star Tours. You're my only hope."

"A Princess…" Mona whispered before a look of determination appeared on his face, the hologram reflecting brightly in his blue eyes before fading away. 

"Her only hope." C-3PO lamented, turning to his passengers as R2 whistled solemnly.

"What do you mean we'll be making a slight detour?" His colleague grumbled as the engines thundered to life as R2 bleeped and chirped defiantly while 3PO struggled to dissuade him.

"Punch it!" Mona exclaimed, earning him a cheer from his fellow passengers as the Star Wars theme swelled triumphantly before the ship flung itself back into hyperspace, dropping out of lightspeed in the heart of an asteroid belt, in the distance loomed a rust-colored planet that dwarfed their objective: The 2nd Death Star.

"This can't be right," 3PO muttered, checking the nav computer as a ship emerged from behind a nearby asteroid, looking nothing like any Imperial craft they had seen today.

"You can run, but you can't hide, not from me!" It's captain declared, opening fire with his repeating laser cannons.

"Bobba Fett!?" Akira and Futaba yelped simultaneously before exchanging a glance, trying to contain their impending geek out.

It's that dreadful bounty hunter!" 3PO grumbled as R2 screeched in alarm and put all power into the engines, darting into the thick of the asteroids, twisting, diving and rolling through every nook and cranny imaginable as their pursuer continued his assault, serval laser bolts striking the hull and causing the entire ship to shutter and groan. Despite this, the starspeeder was rapidly closing the gap on the Death Star, drawing the fire of the surface mounted turbolasers as it dove towards the battle station, with R2 deploying the ship's sensor array so they could perform a detailed technical scan once inside. Despite all odds, the mission was going well, until an all too familiar mechanical breathing began coming from the comms channel.

"I have you now!"

Vader came screaming towards them at top speed, escorted by two TIE Interceptors. R2 had the audacity to exchange fire with the formation before steepening the speeder's descent as the passengers all yelped nervously.

"Here we go!" Ann shouted as they rocketed into the bowels of the planet killer.

"I have a bad feeling about this…" 3PO groaned as green laser bolts raced past them with increasing ferocity all while the speeder darted over, under and around fleets of droid construction workers as well as heavy machinery and massive cargo vessels carrying raw materials and sensitive electronics. One wrong move it this place would cost them dearly.

As R2 whistled triumphantly, informing his friend that the technical scan was complete, the gold droid took the controls and steered them away from the reactor core and into another series of tunnels.

"I'm getting us out of here!" He declared as the Astromech blooped and chirped nervously.

"I know exactly what I'm doing," 3PO replied flatly as the spacecraft emerged in a hangar filled with stormtroopers who starred up in bewilderment at the passing speeder as the ship's claxon blared, warning of an ongoing incursion against the station. As the ship made for open space one more, Boba Fett's ship cut in front of them and jettisoned a small cylindrical device with a blinking red light on its side.

"Say goodbye, Rebel spy…" Fett sneered as he applied full reverse thrusters to get out of the blast area.

"A sonic bomb!" 3PO exclaimed as R2 whirred and beeped, turning the speeders guns on the device and firing a lower power shot, sending the bomb tumbling across open space and right into Fett's ship. The bounty hunter screamed in terror as the weapon detonated, creating a massive blue shockwave that sent his ship tumbling into the void and left the speeder bouncing in space like they were driving an old country road at 50 miles an hour.

"Good shot, R2! Now, get us out of here!" 3PO commanded as the music swelled once again just as the ship jumped to lightspeed, causing the ship's passengers to cheer before they emerged in the midst of the Rebel fleet. A-Wings zipped around the medical frigates and troop transports while Y wings lumbered to the farthest edges of the battle group with flights of X-Wings escorting them, each element of starfighters ready to engage anything that would dare threaten the fleet and the Rebel flagship, which loomed over the tiny speeder: Home One.

"Star Tours, we were concerned about you. Is our agent safe?" Admiral Ackbar asked as two wings joined the speeder on its approach, flying on either side of it with their s-foils locked attack in position, just in case.

"Safe, but perhaps a little shaken," 3PO replied as the ship entered the hangar of the massive cruiser, coming to a rest on the flight deck, its engines humming deeply before going silent.

"We are grateful you made it. You are all heroes of the Rebellion." Akbar told the passengers as rebel soldiers and pilots made their way to the speeder to greet the new arrivals.

"I rather like the sound of that," 3PO muttered, sounding quite pleased with himself before turning to his passengers.

"Be careful out there, all of you. The Empire is watching." He warned as the viewport shield closed and the doors opened up. The Thieves gave one last cheer as they got up from their seats, exiting their spacecraft while Futaba playfully ruffled her friend's hair as he bragged about being such a good spy, even he didn't know he was one.

"Rebel scum." She teased, almost sounding proud.

…

At long last, the time had come. After almost an hour of waiting in line, the Thieves made their way through the heart of the biggest baddest coaster in the Magic Kingdom. Space Mountain, as they marched through the dim blue corridors, Admiral Akbar briefed the 'pilots' on their mission.

"Pilots, we've detected a Star Destroyer near Jakku. Report to your reconnaissance vessels and prepare to make the jump to hyperspace. The 77th Squadron will provide support during your mission. Good luck and may the force be with you!"

"Are you ready for this Mona?" Futaba asked.

He nodded solemnly before flashing a cocky smile.

"I was born ready!"

"Very good, my young padawan." Futaba chuckled, patting his head.

"How about you Makoto? This will be the most intense ride of the day." Haru advised her friend.

"I'll be ok, don't worry. If I survived two mountains, I'm sure I can handle this one. Although, I don't want you to have been stuck with me all day. So, I think I'll ride with Akira, that way you and Ann can take the back."

"Are you sure?" Haru asked to which Makoto nodded.

"You've been talking about how excited you were for this for the past hour. Don't worry about me, ok?" She said, giving her a reassuring smile.

"Yusuke and I will take second to the last row then," Ryuji added.

"Mona and I call front!" Futaba yelped as they arrived in the launch bay where excited riders were being loaded and unloaded underneath a New Republic X-Wing, its S-Foils folded shut. The Thieves marveled at the ship as they made their way down towards the loading area via a ramp.

"Wait! Doesn't each car only hold three rows of two?" Ann wondered.

"It doesn't look like it from here. I see four rows of two." Akira replied. "Maybe they changed the cars for the retheming?"

"Yeah, I guess that's possible." She replied as they passed under a large screen showing a technical readout of their target. Within minutes, they found themselves stepping into the ride vehicles, which lurched forward into a holding position where their lap bars were checked one last time by a cast member who gave them a thumbs up before pointing to a man in a control room that loomed over them.

The train rumbled forwards and the speakers near their heads came to life.

"You are cleared for launch!"

The train rounded a corner and began climbing up the first segment of the lift hill as the Star Wars theme blared triumphantly.

"This is Blue Leader, All wings report in!"

"Uh-Mona reporting in!"

The rest of the thieves joined in.

"Oracle, standing by!"

"Joker, standing by!"

"Q-queen, standing by!"

"Fox, present and accounted for!

"Skull here!"

"Noir, lasers linked and ready!"

"Panther, standing by!

Blue Leader quickly radioed back.

"All wings prepare to jump into hyperspace on my mark…PUNCH IT!"

The tunnel around them filled with a brilliant blue light as their ship continued to ascend before cresting the hill, a flight of TIE Fighters appeared to scream past them. The ship leveled off amongst a pitch black starscape as the X-wings pilots struggled to organize themselves as the Imperial March blasted out the coaster's sound system.

"It's a trap!" Akbar exclaimed as the ship climbed ever higher, earning the Star Destroyer that loomed over the desert world of Jakku.

"It's so dark!" Makoto yelped.

"That's what makes it so fun!" Akira insisted.

"The universe is a cruel mistress Queen, stop fighting her and just let go! Enjoy the ride!" Ryuji told her.

All ships, evasive maneuvers!" Blue Leader snapped as an Imperial fighter screamed past them.

"Hold tight everyone, we're going in!" Futaba shouted as their ship plunged into the battle, the iconic score of John William's TIE Fighter attack making Akira laugh giddily, leaning forward in the hope it would make them go faster.

"Keep it fast and keep it moving!" Blue Leader barked.

"WOOOHOOO!" Makoto screamed, her hands reaching into the blackness as an X-wing cut across their ship's nose, chasing an enemy fighter.

"Watch your back Blue 4!" Blue Leader warned as green laser bolts zipped past

Their little ship jinked to the right, the force of gravity pulling Akira and the rest of its occupants deeper into their seats as they rocketed through a diving turn, starts racing past as they zipped through the battlefield.

"We've picked up a tail!" Mona warned as another volley of laser bolts whooshed by and the ship went into a quick steep climb before leveling back off and diving again earning an excited cry from Ryuji as he was lifted out of his seat for a few seconds.

"YAHOOOO!"

"I'm hit I'm hit!" An X-Wing pilot wailed before his radio cut out as the thieves and their ship went flying through another hairpin turn that caused Yusuke to laugh with delight.

"What a rush!" He declared as a TIE Fighter spun out of control in front of them before exploded in a ball fire.

"We got em!" Mona cheered.

"Great kid, don't get cocky!" Futaba chided as they were made another sharp turn exiting it to find themselves flying straight an enemy fighter. The Thieves collectively screamed as green laser bolts filled the space around them before the ship dive underneath the TIE, safely avoiding a collision.

"Watch out for those blasters!" Blue Leader cautioned.

The barrage of turbolaser fire intensified as the ship neared their objective while other X-Wings slipped into position on either side of the reconnaissance vessel as the music reached a crescendo.

"You're all clear kid, now let's blow this thing and go home!" Futaba told her friend.

"FIRE!" Mona shouted, a pair of red laser bolts rippling through open space, striking the Imperial Star Destroyer and causing a massive explosion.

"Direct hit!" Blue Leader exclaimed as the fleet of ships turned away from the crumbling starship, eliciting cheers from the entire coaster train.

"All pilots, return to base!" She ordered as they jumped back into hyperspace and returning to the station with the music delivering an explosive and triumphant finale.

"Today marks a major victory for the New Republic! Good work out there. May the force be with you, always." Akbar told his pilots as they disembarked from their spacecraft.

As the Thieves made their way to the exit, they chatted amongst themselves about the ride and speculating as to how good their ride portrait would turn out.

"How'd you like the ride Makoto?" Haru asked.

"I loved it!" She replied, jumping up and down before pulling out her phone.

"I wonder if the wait time has gone down?"

"Check and see, it just might have considering it's getting late." Ann reasoned.

"Guys its here!" Ryuji shouted pointing to the screen. Futaba quickly typed the digital code into her phone's app, so the photo could be retrieved. With the code, they all made their way to a nearby bench away from the exiting crowds to view their picture. Much to their surprise, they didn't have to wait long for the photo to appear.

"Aw damn, we look good!" Ryuji exclaimed.

Up front, Morgana and Futaba gripped the handholds mounted on the top of the car with determination, each of leaning forward and sporting a sly grin as if they'd just gotten away with stealing the Death Star plans. Behind them, Makoto and Akira were locked in a fake lightsaber battle, trying to be serious but each showing a trace of a smile. Behind them was Yusuke pretending to force choke Ryuji, who was grasping at his neck like it was working. Lastly, Ann and Haru had gone for a classic pose, turning themselves to make it appear as if they were sitting back to back and sporting finger guns, putting on their best fem fatale face.

"Guys the wait dropped to twenty minutes!" Makoto exclaimed, showing them the screen of her phone.

"How?" Ann yelped to which Makoto just shrugged.

"AGAIN, AGAIN!" Mona shouted, already heading towards the start of the line.

"I'm riding with Mona this time!" Ann said with a laugh before heading off to catch up with him.

"Haru, you wanna sit in the back?" Makoto asked.

"Yes! I'd like that very much!" She replied before the two set off.

"Hey man, wanna ride with me up front?" Ryuji asked Akira.

"Sure!" He replied, taking Futaba's hand while she shook her head at the ride photo before she looked up at her boyfriend and shaking her head at the lovable dork.

"I love you." She cooed.

"I know."

…

After hitting all their favorite rides one more time, the Phantom Thieves decided to close out their day by grabbing dinner before finding a place to set up and watch the nightly fireworks, having heeded Haru's advice to get there spot an hour ahead of time. From there, they sat on the concrete, watching as the crowd closed in, filling in space around them. Morgana was wearing his new sky blue 'I was the rebel spy' shirt that depicted an orange Starspeeder 1000 fleeing from a pair of TIE Fighters, laser bolts grazing the hardy little ship. His black sweater was draped over his shoulders and he shared a pair of earbuds with Ann who was showing him her Disney playlist on Spotify and trying to get him to sing along.

Meanwhile, Futaba sat leaning against Akira, staring up at the castle as the projections on its face form the wallpaper of Andy's room to an ensemble of doors that surely belonged in Monstroplois before shifting to the stain glass images that made up the prologue of Beauty and the Beast, complete with the film's signature piano theme and narration.

Next to them was Haru and Makoto who were thumbing through the day's pictures and planning out the next day's activities in Tokyo DisneySea. Behind them, Yusuke and Ryuji were examining the surrounding area trying to decide where they would launch a snack attack, after coming to a decision they both stood up.

"Yusuke and I are off to grab churros. Who wants some?" Ryuji asked.

Akira, Ann, Morgana's hands shot up, as did Futaba's after she took out her wallet, which was adorned with the signature insignia of Organization 13 from the Kingdom Hearts series. Akira tried to get his own wallet out, but Futaba stopped him.

"Oh no you don't, you got lunch _and_ dinner! The least I can do is get us some churros." She scolded before handing a thousand yen note to Ryuji who pocketed it before moving onto Ann who opened her purse to fish out some money only for Morgana to offer his own thousand yen note. Money everyone knew he had earned from Sojiro helping around Leblanc.

"Here, get one for me and Lady Ann." He instructed Ryuji, who looked to Ann for approval. She smiled softly at Mona before nodding at Ryuji who shrugged and took the note and started heading for the nearest churro cart with Yusuke at his side. Meanwhile, the castle's projection changed again, depicting a vast starscape where WALL-E and EVE could be seen dancing the night away.

Ann closed her eyes and took her earbud out stood up, swaying to the soft melody that washed over the pavilion like the day's first sunbeams, warming the soul of every being it touched as a computerized voice introduced the song.

"Dancing: a serious of movements between two partners where speed and rhythm match harmoniously with music."

Ann spun around and looked to Morgana who was putting his sweater back on when she called to him.

"Hey, Mona!"

"Hmm?" He asked, his big blue eyes darting up to meet hers.

"Come dance with me!" She told him, offering her hand.

"I don't know how…" He told her.

"Well, then I'll teach you." She replied giving him an encouraging smile, which made his cheeks flush as he stood up.

"Ok, sorry in advance if I step on your feet." He told her as he walked over, taking her hand.

"Since your new, I'll lead ok, so just do what I do." She began, taking his hands and placing them on her waist before placing her own hands on his shoulders. Thankfully he was only six inches shorter than her, so the size difference didn't impair their dancing ability.

"Close your eyes."

"Wait close my eyes?" He asked.

"Yup, go ahead. I'm leading, so just relax and trust me ok? I won't let you trip on anything, promise." She assured him.

"Alright." He replied, shutting his eyes like he was told. "Now what?"

"Listen to the music. The first thing you need to realize that unless your trying to emulate a very particular style, there is no right way to dance. There's Ann style, there's Futaba style, Akira style and after tonight there will be Morgana style. The only one you need to worry about."

"Ok." He replied as his body started swaying to the music.

"There you go, see you already got the hang of this." Ann said with a smile. "the next thing you need to pay attention to is your partner. If they look like they're getting bored, try mixing it up, that's only if you're leading though. Remember its ok to let the girl lead sometimes, that's what dancing is. Give and take. If your partner looks nervous, talk to them. Once you get into a rhythm, the dancing is second nature and you'll be able to hold a conversation."

Morgana nodded as he settled into the rhythm, now he and Ann were moving together much to her delight.

"You're a natural Mona! All the girls are gonna want to dance with you when you start going to school." She told him, making him blush again.

"You really think so?"

"Of course! Trust me, any girl will fall head over heels for a guy who can dance." She assured him as Futaba and Akira got up from their seats to join them. As they took their spot near Mona and Ann, Futaba wrapped her arms around her boyfriend's torso and pulled him close, resting her head on his chest while he put his arms around her waist and looked down at her peaceful expression with unbridled adoration. The two swayed slowly to the music, hardly moving from there spot as they got swept up in the rhythm. Nearby, Haru stood up and took a deep breath before turning and offering her hand to Makoto.

"May I have this dance?" She asked.

Makoto nodded enthusiastically and took the pink aired girls hand, and she responded by pulling her onto her feet and leading her to the others, giving her a quick twirl before pulling in close and starting to dance. The gesture earned her a delighted giggle from Makoto who gently rested her arms and on the girl's shoulders and gave her a quizzical look.

"So, I take it your leading?" She teased.

"For now." Her partner replied before they both shut their eyes and started to sway. Morgana had been watching them and looked up to Ann as an idea popped into his head.

"Hey, can I lead for a second? I wanna try something."

"OK, go ahead," Ann replied, giving him another encouraging nod.

Morgana then clumsily led her through a twirl, it was nowhere near as graceful as Haru's and because of that he grimaced and let go of Ann's hand halfway through the botched maneuver, shaking his head in disappointment as Ann spun herself back around to face him.

"Eeh, sorry. I didn't realize that would be so tough." He muttered, eyes focused on his feet as Ann guided his hands back to your waist before putting her hand under his chin and making him look at her.

"Hey, don't beat yourself up about it alright? Twirls are hard. Haru probably had a hundred bad twirls before she got it right. You won't get better at dancing if you don't have bad twirls or step on your partner's foot every once in a while. The most important thing is this, never ever leave your partner dance by themselves. You stick with them no matter what, all the way up until the end of the song, ok?"

Morgana nodded firmly. "Ok."

"Now, let's try that again, but this time don't let go of my hand until I spin around and come back you. No matter how bad the twirl may seem."

"I won't." He assured her as they started the move again. It, once again, was sloppy slow and a little cumbersome, but Morgana held his partner's hand firmly, guiding her back to him as she completed the spin.

"Good job!" She told him as the song ended, his cheeks were as bright as ever, but he was beaming with pride as they parted. She gave him a mock curtsey and he returned the gesture with a bow. Nearby, Makoto and Haru also parted curtsying after they did so.

Akira and Futaba finished with a twirl of their own but as he drew her back towards him, he took her hand with his own while placing his other hand on the small of her back, spinning them both before lowering her towards the floor. They held the pose for several seconds before Akira pulled her back up and twirled her again, but as she finished the spin, they remained at arm's length, tightly holding the others hand before breaking apart, doing as others had before them, Futaba curtsied, and Akira bowed earning them so light applause from nearby onlookers as Ryuji and Yusuke arrived with the churros.

"We're back!" Ryuji declared, holding the spoils of their adventure aloft as the group returned to their firework viewing spots.

"Good, now you two have to dance." Futaba teased as Ryuji handed her some change followed by the churros. Yusuke laughed and shook his head as he handed Ann and Mona their snacks.

"I'm afraid I must decline. I'm not very good at dancing."

"Well, there's no right way dance," Mona told him before biting into his churro.

"He's right you know," Ann added.

"Is that so?" Yusuke asked before looking at Makoto and Haru. "Most of the desert carts have almost no line, if you'd like to get a snack I'd recommend doing it sooner rather than later."

"There's still sometime before the fireworks start. We can run to one of my favorite shops in the bazaar and get your pin collection started while we're away." Haru offered.

"Let's do it!" Makoto said, springing to her feet and extending her arm to Haru.

"Shall we?" She asked as Haru linked arms with her after giving a quick nod.

"Yes, let's," Haru replied as they both turned and walked off, once they were out of earshot, Ryuji turned to Akira.

"2,500 Yen says they hook up by the end of the summer." He offered.

"5,000 Yen says any time before the first day of class." His friend countered.

"You two are terrible," Ann grumbled.

"No, the three of us are terrible. I want in on this too you know." Futaba replied.

"6,500 Yen says they hook up by the end of the month."

"No way!" Ryuji scoffed.

"That's bold even for you Taba," Akira added.

"I'll remind you when you're begging to play Jurassic World Evolution after I get it on day one. Hell, it'll probably an oversized sweater only day for me. Too bad you won't be invited. No T-Rex V Spino rematch for you mister" She teased, giving her boyfriend an exaggerated wink.

Akira looked at her and narrowed his eyes as she took a bite out of her churro.

"Oversized sweater only day _and_ dinosaurs? You're pure evil."

"Oh yeah, bad to the bone, I should go find Maleficent and put in my application in to be the newest Disney villain, mwheheh. That's what happens you bet against your girlfriend though." She replied with a snicker.

Ann just sighed and shook her head before looking at Yusuke.

"Well at least someone isn't betting on our friend's love lives."

"I must confess that the only reason I'm abstaining from this is that I do not have the money to spare at the moment. Most of my funds are being held in reserve for souvenirs and food from this resort." He replied sheepishly.

Ann threw her hands in the air.

"Oh, my-Mona! Mona your with me on this ri-" She looked to her friend only to see he was leaning against her with a half-eaten churro in his lap, fast asleep. Ann just sighed and shook her head, ruffling Mona's hair before briefly tuning back into the ongoing conversation. They may have been idiots, but they were her idiots she thought as she put an earbud in and looked to the castle. Today had been amazing, and tomorrow couldn't come soon enough.

…

A.N- Man, another long one! Everybody still awake? Hopefully, that wasn't too repetitive. I also apologize if it seems I blew past anyone's favorite ride. I picked the ones that had the biggest impact on me as a kid, although I've only been to Disneyland Anaheim so if this seemed strange to anyone who has actually been to Tokyo Disney, I was basing this all of my own recollection. Even though this was all fluff, we've got another set of plot threads appearing! Haru and Makoto's closeness and Mona's new life as a human. Each coming with their own set of problems. Next time, we see follow the gang through the other park in the Tokyo Disney Resort. Expect Indiana Jones, Toy Story and of course The Tower of Terror! Thanks again for all your thoughtful reviews and comments, I hope I can keeping meeting all your expectations.

Have a good weekend everyone, thanks for reading!


	8. The Magic Kingdom Part 2

The Magic Kingdom

Part 2

The next day, under Ryuji's advisement, the Phantom Thieves made a beeline for the Lost River Delta portion of the park. Their late breakfast led to them having to endure a 30-minute wait, but Ryuji reminded them that later in the day it would be 45 minutes to an hour so they were quite fortunate to have found such a short line after sleeping in that morning.

The Thieves slowly moved forward, slowly but surely as the que funneled them through the heart of a thick jungle. The canopy of the miniature rainforest kept them in the shade most of the time as they walked through a small encounter, adorned with tents and large transport trucks carrying excavation tools for the archeologists who presumably were toiling away deep in the bowels of the fabled Temple of the Forbidden Eye.

At the head of the group, Akira chatted with Futaba. His heart still swelling with pride after their day, she had dealt with the massive crowds incredibly well so far. Although there had been occasions where she would smush herself up against him when she got overwhelmed or needed to go sit on a bench and calm herself down for a few minutes. These instances had been few and far between however, which led to Akira promising give reward of her choosing on their last day at the resort. As a result, her self-confidence was through the roof as of late.

Behind them was Morgana and Ann, who were rocking out to Tarzan's _Trashin' the Camp._ Mona had acquired quite a fascination with music after the previous night's dance lesson with Ann. At breakfast, he had been telling Akira would be saving up for a phone or some other portable music player that he could use while helping Sojiro at Leblanc. Ann and Ryuji had been spending most of the morning helping him build his first playlist, promising to send it to him once he could open a Spotify account of his own. Meanwhile, Yusuke and Haru were exchanging trivia tidbits about the park, most of which detailed all the complexities going on behind the scenes that helped make the park such an amazing place.

Makoto stood next Haru, her attention focused on every word as she ran her thumb up and down the face of the first pin in her collection, which depicted the iconic rose from Beauty and The Beast in its glass case, the pin itself looking like it cut straight from the stain glass intro sequence of the film, one of Makoto's all-time favorites, and made all the more beautiful with gold trimmings to make it stand out. As Haru and Yusuke talked, Makoto recalled how Haru had gushed about the rarity of the pin, telling her how she had been searching for it for years. Makoto had offered to let her buy it, but Haru had insisted upon her that she be the one to get it.

"It'll be an excellent start to your collection, plus you found it! Not me." She had told her.

Makoto smiled warmly at her friend as she gestured to the structure that they were all about to venture into. It the crumbling temple that held untold riches, visions of the future, and even eternal youth. It all sounded a little too good to be true. Yet, they all marched through the doorway, the promise of adventure all too alluring. As the swing music of the archeologist camp faded, it was replaced by the enthused voice of a radio newsman who was reporting on the public's fascination with the newly discovered temple.

"The Temple of the Forbidden Eye continues to beckon visitors from around the globe! They've all heard the tantalizing tales. A matronly movie star made young again; the paupers who became Rockefellers in these ruins. But a darker tale has surfaced. Many visitors are claiming loved ones have disappeared inside. Could it be they looked into the eyes of the idol? The reports reach Indiana Jones, who returns to the site of his great discovery. Our newsreel camera followed Dr. Jones as he entered the temple. One week later, and still _no_ Indiana Jones. Could Jones himself have locked eyes with the idol? Or will he solve the riddle of the lost tourists? Until we find out, this is Zachary Watts reminding you to keep your eye on the globe!"

"It's darker in here than I remember." Futaba grumbled as they made their way through a small circular room that was dimly lit by gas lanterns. On the ceiling above them there was a multi armed giant distributing riches to a group of peasants who were kneeling before him, eyes wide but fixated on the floor. From there the Thieves went further underground, passing through a long corridor with walls covered in vines, unevenly spaced gas lanterns seemingly ushering them deeper into the pyramid.

"Hey Ann, make sure Morgana doesn't step on any of the diamond shaped stones up ahead. Otherwise he'll end up like my friend Shiba." Ryuji told his friend as the line came to a stop yet again.

"Who's Shiba?" Mona grumbled taking out his earbud.

Ryuji glumly pointed to his left, where a skeleton lay in the dirt, multiple spears from the ceiling plunged unto the spaces between ribs. Mona audibly gulped and Ann turned and shook her head at her friend who just snickered.

"Make sure you don't step on that snake Skull." Futaba warned.

"S-snake? Where?!" He yelped before blinking several times.

"Ha-ha…very funny Futaba."

She turned around and playfully scowled at him before continuing her conversation with Akira.

"Hey, did I tell you that Kana is coming to visit in a few weeks?"

"Really? That's awesome! How long has it been since you two have seen each other?"

"Too long…way too long. I'm really excited for you two to meet. Oh! She's bringing her boyfriend too, so she might wanna go on a double date. Is that ok?"

"Of course, I'm excited to meet her too. If she's half as cool as you are, then I'm sure we'll get along swimmingly." He assured her.

"Sweet talker." She blushed before continuing. "But, I'm not sure what they'll want to do, they aren't gamers like us. They might wanna go spend a night on the town. Go dancing, have dinner, maybe catch a movie. Stuff like that."

"No problem. Hey, did you hear they're making your favorite book series into a movie?"

"No way!"

"Mhmmm. They said they've been working on it in secret, so fans didn't swarm the film crew while they tried to do their first few weeks of shooting in London."

"Holy crap…how long have they been working on this?"

"They started filming last summer."

"Last summer, and word just barely got out?"

"Yup."

"Oh man, I really hope it doesn't suck."

"Me too, I really liked the first book."

"You're on the second one, right?"

"Actually, I just finished it a few nights ago."

"Yes! Now we're both caught up. When school starts back up we can read book three together!" Futaba exclaimed as they came to a stop a corridor with dozens of little holes in the walls. Mona was careful to watch where he was stepping so as not to trigger one of the rumored diamond shape stones prompting some more snickering from Ryuji.

"I wish Mom was here to see it with us…" Futaba sighed.

"Just you, me, Mom and Dad going out to the movies."

"That would be pretty nice, I'm sad I'll never get to meet her." Akira replied softly.

"I tell her about you all the time you know, when I go visit her in Kada." She told him.

Akira blushed. "Really?"

"Yeah of course, you're one of the most important people in my life. How could I not tell her about you?"

"Well, since she can't go to the movies with us, maybe the next time you go visit I can come and we can tell her about it together." He offered.

"You'd do that with me?" She asked. "Well I know you're willing to but I wanna know if you'd really want to."

"Of course, I want to. I think I'm gonna be around for a long time. Seems only right that I talk to your mom every now and then. I know going to visit her is important to you, so I wouldn't go every time. That way you can have some alone time with her, but I'd like to come visit every now and then."

Futaba rubbed her watery eyes and took her boyfriend's hand, gently leaning up against him.

"You're the sweetest guy on earth, you know that?" She asked.

Akira's blushing cheeks only burned brighter as he bent down and kissed his girlfriend on the top of the head. She hummed happily in response as the line started to move again.

"Next time I go visit her, can we go together?"

"Let's do it." He replied with a nod as the group continued on into the center of the temple, the domed ceiling depicting the same multi armed giant from earlier with its eyes closed and a somewhat sinister grin like it was waiting for something to happen. The group came to a stop next to what appeared to be a well with a large rope running down into it. The base of the well was a large wooden sign that read:

DO NOT PULL ROPE

Makoto's curiosity got the better of her and after Mona dared her to do it, she couldn't help herself. Instead of the booming wail of an angry god of a lost cavillation, the deafening buzz of swarm of locusts or some other jump scare that likely would have made her scream, there was the angry yelp of a British man who began scolding her.

"Blast it all don't pull the rope! You don't want to break an art-"

 ** _CRASH_**

 _That made everyone in the room jump._

"Oh, dear…" The hidden man muttered.

"Why'd you do that Queen? I told you not to!" Mona teased, earning him a noogie from the girl who was basically his older sister.

"H-hey cut it out!" He grumbled as the line started to move again, when they stopped again they found themselves in a darkened room where a film reel was being played on loop for expedition passengers.

"Welcome, my friends, to the Temple of the Forbidden Eye. I, Sallah, shall now give you counsel to seek out a miraculous journey."

Sallah then began his safety spiel, informing riders of where to place their belongings and how to fasten their seatbelts, as well as advising them of the rough terrain they would be crossing as they traversed the inner sanctum of the temple.

"Now, my friends, one final word of advice: once you have entered the Chamber of Destiny, look not into the eyes of the idol. That would be dangerous… _very_ dangerous."

Sallah's warning was punctuated by footage of pair of skeletons, each lying just feet away from the regal face of the multi armed giant whose likeness adorned the walls of the temple. They were up to their waists in gold, but there were scorch marks around their eyes and their mouths a gape. As if they screamed in horror after being subjected to a painful demise.

"Well, my friends, the moment is drawing near. Already I am envious of the wonders that await you. _If_ you avoid the eyes of Mara, that is." The film cut off as the group was ushered into the final area, the secondary camp for the archeologist which was now home to most of their equipment and the vehicles they used to travel across the temple's hidden depths. As they neared the loading area the Thieves split themselves into groups of four at Haru's advice.

Ann, Morgana, Futaba and Akira would sit in one row together while Haru, Makoto, Yusuke and Ryuji would occupy the second row. With their seating ordered determined, the cast members showed them to their rows as their vehicle lumbered into the station. The bamboo gates flung open and the boarding process began.

"Mona, you stay behind me. You're gonna drive."

"D-drive?"

"It would make the most sense. Considering one of your primary role in Mementos was driving us around." Yusuke offered.

"Right, right! I got this. How hard can it be? I can do this! I was a car!" Mona declared, hopping into his seat earnestly. The guests behind him gave the Thieves some strange looks as did the cast member who was in charge of loading them onto the jeep.

"My little brother, he has a very active imagination." Akira announced. The explanation seemed to satisfy them and the cast member nodded, checking everyone's seatbelts one last time, row by row until sending them off into the temple.

"You got this!" She told Mona giving him a thumbs up as the radio warbled to life.

"Uh, hello. Hello. Oh, my friends, uh, the brakes may be needing a little adjustment. Easy on the curves." Sallah advised as the car lurcher forward before Mona 'guided' it gently around the first turn where the Thieves were faced with three paths and three doors. Before Mona could act, another voice called to their jeep.

Despite the power behind it, it seemed pleased by their arrival.

"You seek the future. I will lift the Curtain of Time. It is your destiny." It said as the center door opened and the jeep lumbered forward. The hall surrounding them went dark, thousands of stars dotted the ceilings and the walls. As Mona looked around, the stars shifted and moved, turning into a face, a familiar face. The golden eyed fox who was staring at him. Tears in its eyes, ears flat against its head. It opened its mouth to cry out.

"Morgana!" She screamed, heart break and raged intermixed into a powerful cry that hit him in the gut like a sucker punch. He felt incredibly woozy all of a sudden.

Mona blinked hard and when he opened his eyes the figure was gone, his dizzy spell over. Mona looked over to Akira only to see that he too was staring into the starfield as well.

Suddenly he turned to look at Morgana who was staring back at him with a great deal of confusion in his eyes. They relayed a quick silent message to each other

 _Later_

"Hey." Futaba asked, pulling on her boyfriend's sleeve, making him look to her.

"You ok? You're really pale."

He gave her a quick nod.

"Yeah, I just spaced out is all." He assured her.

Before Futaba could press him, Yusuke spoke.

"The Idol has very striking features. If such a carving did exist in the real world, I wonder how long it must of taken to complete such a-"

"Wait you've been staring at this thing the whole time!?" Makoto yelped as Mara's voice returned, filled with rage. Electricity crackled across the idol's face and his now open eyes seemed to glow as if they were filled with lava.

"You looked into my eyes! Your destiny now lies beyond the Gates of Doom!"

The car was abruptly pulled to the left and around the corner, the entire chassis lifted up off the ground and glided up a hill and towards a pair of stone gates as lightning arced along the wall. The gates were struggling against a lone man wearing a cowboy hat, and a whip hung from his belt as the fog from the gates seemed to reach towards him and then the jeep, trying to pull them in.

"Dr. Jones! Is that you?" Mona yelped.

"You looked?! There's powers here you can't possibly comprehend. Quick! take the left passage! It's the only way out!" He shouted as the car fell back onto the stone floor. Mona jerked the wheel to the left, now out of his trance. The jeep rumbled up the stone steps as the classic Indiana Jones theme played triumphantly only to be replaced by the wails of an unearthly chorus.

In the distance loomed the disfigured face of Mara as the jeep skidded around corner, driving into a chamber filled with dozens upon dozens of mummified corpses who wailed in anguish and reached out towards the jeep as if begging to be rescued.

"Right Mona right!" Ann shouted as the car screeched around another corner, transitioning into another quick turn that sent the back end of the vehicle sliding.

"Oh crap!" Mona exclaimed, correcting as best as he could before the jeep lurched forward, plunging into a darkened room.

"Where are the headlights on this rust bucket?" Mona grumbled before the lights flickered on, revealing a swarm of bugs on the walls. The light caused them all to scatter and Futaba screeched.

"Yuck, I hate this part!" She shouted as puffs of air began pelting them from the left and the right. Akira chuckled, looking back to Ryuji and using his fingers to tickle the back of Futaba's neck, making her scream.

"AHH! AKIRA I SWEAR!"

Ryuji started laughing as Mona floored it, sending the jeep flying around another turn. Its engine roared and tires screeched as they tried to get traction, fishtailing for a few seconds before it tried crossing a rickety wooden bridge right in front of Mara's face, one half an idol, the other an exposed skull with a fire blazing in the eye socket.

Gears cranked as the jeep stalled in the middle of the bridge, the flame in Mara's eye grew and a beam of light shot past the jeep as it got moving again, striking a boulder to the Thieves right and causing a large fireball to shoot up into the sky. Mona swerved to avoid a fallen stone pillar only for the car to die once again. The engine sputtered and groaned as the famed archeologist called out to them from the shadows.

"Snakes? You guys are on your own!" He grumbled as something slithered out from the shadows. A giant orange snake raised itself up as Mona tried to turn the engine over. The reptile hissed and it massive hood flared out from its body. It's mouth slowly opening to reveal fangs as long as Akira's arm. Ryuji was recoiling up against Haru, being closest to the reptile, as it lunged at the jeep.

"Drive Mona! DRIVE!" He shouted as the jeep took off once again, driving through a hole in the wall by the giant stone Mara. The inside of the Idol's head was lined with human skulls. Mara snarled as he materialized above them, now in his rawest form. A ghost dressed in rags, his face withered and delayed. Flesh barely clinging to his skull, he lunged at the jeep with clawed hands as the vehicle fled once more.

"You're doing great Morgana!" Makoto called out as the Jeep went down the hill a little too fast, hopping into the air and landing with a thud before Mona took another hard right turn, the entire chassis rolling underneath them as we hit another patch of uneven terrain.

The engine shuttered and went silent as the vehicle came to a stop in another dark room. The headlights flickering on and off for several seconds before dying completely.

"You may have spoken too soon Queen." Yusuke said flatly.

"He's doing his best." Haru chided as the engine struggled to turn over.

A faint glow began to appear before them.

"Hey, the headlights are back…kinda." Ryuji exclaimed.

"Those arent headlights…" Yusuke told him as the glow was revealed to be the face of Mara, his mouth a gap and his eyes filled with blazing fire.

"YOU SHALL NEVER LEAVE THIS PLACE. IT IS YOUR DESTINY!" He bellowed as the car's engine came to life.

"Go Mona go!" Haru shouted.

The jeep's tires spun as a hot glow filled Mara's mouth.

"DIE!" He snarled as a column of fire shot from the idol's mouth. A heat wave washing over the car as it accelerated out of harm's way.

"Keep going Mona we're almost there!" Ann told her friend as they drove through a corridor filled with mummified warrirors who started throwing spears at them. The thieves ducked and waved as Mona continued at top speed, yelping as a spear found itself wedged into the hood of the jeep.

"NYAAAH!" He shouted as the jeep exited the room, entering a long corridor.

"Mona, slow down!" Makoto advised as they came upon the famed Indiana Jones, clinging to a vine that was hanging from the ceiling. The jeep came to a sliding stop under the adventurer. The stones underneath the jeep groaned and slid and the car itself sunk a little more into the floor.

"There you are. Let me in! Let me in!" He demanded as the chamber started to rumble.

Something was coming towards them.

"Uh-oh…oh no!" Jones yelped as it came into view.

"Back up back up!" Ann yelped, shaking Mona's shoulder.

A giant boulder was bearing down on top of them. Mona threw the jeep into reverse only to find an entire group of mummified soldiers were blocking his exit and were silently creeping towards them. In front of them was a giant boulder, increasing in speed and threatening to kill them and a Doctor Jones. Beneath him, the stone floor was trembling, and some small fissures were starting to form.

"Get me out! Get me out!" Indy shouted as the boulder got closer.

Mona knew he would have to time this just right. Too soon and they'd crash head on into the boulder. Too late and it would kill Indy and block their escape route, possibly even rolling onwards and crushing the jeep as well. Mona gripped the steering wheel and watched the boulder roll ever closer, then he narrowed his eyes and put the pedal to the floor.

"HANG ON!" He shouted as tires screeched and the jeep's engine rumbled. The vehicle sprang forward to meet the boulder head on and just as Mona expected, as they both neared the center of the corridor, the floor gave out and the jeep slid down the pile of debris to safety, earning Mona a cheer from his fellow passengers.

The jeep continued forward in the dark for several feet before stumbling upon Doctor Jones who stood before the boulder that had almost killed all of them, his forehead beaded with sweat and his trusty whip in hand.

"There. That wasn't so bad, was it?" He breathed as the radio once again came to life.

"Ah, welcome back. You entered the Observatory of the Future? In that case, I don't even have to tell you that we would like you to stay seated until your transport comes to a complete stop." Sallah said with a chuckle as the jeep pulled into the station.

After exiting their jeep and making their way outside, the group briefly split up.

Futaba and Ryuji went to retrieve the code for the ride photo while Ann and Makoto went to use the restroom. Haru and Yusuke went into a nearby shop to search for souvenirs. Leaving Morgana and Akira to discuss his visions. When Morgana had finished, Akira was deeply troubled.

"What could this all mean?" Mona asked.

"I don't know…" Akira muttered.

"Are you sure you didn't recognize her?"

"That's the strange part, I feel like I should. When she called out to me… it felt like my heart broken into a million pieces." He told his friend, sadly looking towards the ground before shifting his gaze back to Akira.

"Did you see something?"

"…Yeah I did." He muttered.

"What did you see?"

"I was talking with Yoshida, about the future, about college, about Futaba. He seemed really happy for me. We ended up talking for hours…then he died."

Mona's eyes widened.

"What happened to him?"

"I don't know…the next thing I knew I was staring down Goro Akechi himself."

"That's impossible, Akechi is dead." Mona insisted.

"That's what I would say too, but I've been having some strange dreams lately. That added with Igor warning us about Echoes of the Metaverse and now this? This is all fitting together a bit too neatly." Akira muttered.

"Should we tell the others?" Mona asked.

"I'll talk to Futaba tonight and we'll go from there. I don't want to ruin this trip for everyone. After everything they've been through, they deserve another couple days where the only thing they have to worry about how long the line for the next ride is." Akira told him.

"I agree, the Phantom Thieves have done more than enough to earn a nice normal vacation." Mona replied.

"Let me know if you have any more of those dreams ok? Maybe together we can figure out what this all means."

Akira nodded as an unseen force attacked him from behind, arms wrapping around his waist.

"RAWR!" Futaba shouted, making him jump. His girlfriend started giggling at him.

"Gotcha!" She teased, getting a chuckle out of him.

"Was that pay back for the bug room?" He asked, turning to face her.

"Duh!" She replied before shaking her head and faking a pout.

"Can't believe you did that to me, it was so rude."

Akira playfully rolled his eyes before she thrust her phone into his face.

"Lookit! We nailed our pose!"

Akira's eyes struggled to focus on the image, but when the blurriness cleared, he couldn't help but laugh.

Mona was gripping the steering wheel with one hand, the other clenched in a fist and raised triumphantly in the air, the biggest smile on his face. Next to him, Ann was also caught in the middle of squee of joy, but her hands gripped the hand rail in front of her. Next was Futaba, the camera had caught her mid eye roll as her boyfriend leaned up against her dramatically, the back of his hand pressed against his forehead as he wailed in mock dismay. Behind them was Makoto and Haru who held each other in mock terror while Yusuke and Ryuji had set up a far more elaborate scene. Ryuji leaned up against the hand rail, assuming a mock modeling pose as Yusuke, who had somehow brought a along a fairly large sketchpad, attempted to replicate his likeness.

"That's awesome!" Akira said with a laugh as Futaba showed the others who all express their surprise at how clever Ryuji and Yusuke's set up had been.

"I feel like we need to do something like that now." Futaba told her boyfriend.

"We'll brainstorm over lunch." He promised her.

"Us too Haru, we can't let them have the best ride photo." Makoto told her friend.

"Guess that leaves Me and Mona to beat you all!" Ann declared, earning a cheer from Mona.

"We have to keep our title as ride photo champs Yusuke!"

"I agree, we'll brainstorm at lunch." He replied.

"We will need an arbitrary judge to decide a winner.

"We can use Sojiro!" Futaba suggested.

"He's your dad though, won't he love yours the most?" Ryuji grumbled.

"Well your all family to him, so I think we'll have an even playing field." The redhead offered.

"That is true." Akira told his friend.

"Alright, its on!" Ryuji declared after considering the offer for a few seconds.

With that, the ride photo wars began.

…

As the Thieves marched through yet another lengthy que, this one decorated like the inside of young boy's toybox. Akira told Morgana about the adventures of Woody and Buzz Lightyear as they passed an enlarged RC car that resembled the one from the climax of the first Toy Story while Futaba had small geek out when she heard the little green aliens pair with Mr. Potatohead to deliver the safety brief for the ride. When they came to a stop beside a massive empty tub that likely belonged to Sarge and his platoon of Army Men, Ryuji turned to address the group.

"Alright guys! How about we make this one a little more interesting?" He asked.

"How so?" Futaba wondered.

"Well this is one big shooting gallery, right? How about we make it boys vs girls?"

"What's in it for us when we win?" Ann asked him.

"We'll treat you all to ice cream…hey wait a minute what do you mean _when_?!" He grumbled.

"You heard her Ryuji." Makoto teased. "But we should plan for the unexpected, so what do you all want _if_ you when?"

"The Nacho Supreme from the nearby café." Yusuke offered, almost a little too quickly.

"Oh, I know about that! They said it's the largest plate of nacho's avilable in Asia." Futaba chirped.

"Alright, but if we're going that crazy then you guys will need to be prepared to buy us the New York Style Old Fashioned Banana Split." Haru replied.

"Deal!" Ryuji shouted before looking to Akira.

"Dude wanna partner up? We have to get those nachos!"

"Let's do it!" He replied.

Morgana looked to Yusuke.

"Looks like its me and you, lets win ourselves some nachos."

"They're going to be so disappointed when we win." Ann whispered.

"Now now, we can let then have _some_ hope." Futaba told her as the line got moving again.

Soon they had arrived at the loading area where they were ushered into the ride vehicles. Each one could carry four people, two per row. The four occupants actually sat back to back and each car was represented by a Toy Story character. The boys boarded Buzz Lightyear car while the girls took their place on the Jessie car directly behind them. As their cars got underway, they threw on their 3D glasses and chuckled as their car spun a full 180 degrees, letting them face the girls.

"Good luck boys!" Ann called out while Futaba, who was sitting next to her, blew her boyfriend a very exaggerated kiss.

"You'll need it!" She teased before the boys were turned 90 degrees to the left as the first targets appeared in large windows. The targets were being held by Woody and Buzz who moved about every now and then to get the guys used to aiming their strange cannons, which were fired by pulling strings coming out the back of them.

The girls arrived seconds later and opened fire on Bo Peep and Jessie respectively who encouraged them as they landed several bullseyes in rapid succession. After a solid minute of target practice, Woody called out to Jessie from across the corridor.

"You think they're ready Jess?"

"I think so! Send em on through."

"Good luck everyone!" Buzz told them as they got moving again, each car spinning around twice before coming to a stop at the first shooting gallery where Hamm the Piggybank was there to greet them.

"Alright guys, I need you egg as many animals as you can!" He declared as the targets appeared.

"NYAAH! There's a million of em!" Mona yelped.

"More points for Team Nacho!" Ryuji told him

"Agh! I cant get the sheep in the back, they're too fast!" Ann grumbled.

"I got them, you get the chickens!" Futaba told her.

"Time!" Hamm exclaimed as the targets went away. The girls cheered as the cars got moving, their jubilation growing as they were spun around a full 180 degrees. Now Haru and Makoto were facing the guys. Makoto titled her cannon upwards towards her and blew non-existent smoke off the barrel, getting a chuckle out of Haru. Ryuji just rolled his eyes at them and checked their score on the small tv screen in the car.

"We did pretty good huh?" He asked Akira.

"Yeah not, not too shabby if I do say so myself." He replied before turning his head.

"How'd you guys to over there?"

"My accuracy leaves something to be desired." Yusuke admitted.

"We'll be alright, Fox is still getting used to this cannon." Mona assured his friends.

"Get ready everyone!" Haru announced as they were all spun around twice before stopping at the next game station, finding themselves face to face with Rex who was sticking his head out towards the Thieves and calling out to Trixie the Triceratops, who came stumbling into frame.

"Sorry sorry! I'm here let's get goin'!"

The targets snapped into position and the Thieves went to work. Akira could hear the girls coordinating with one another while the buys kept relatively quiet, focusing on their shooting and occasionally calling out to each other with tips and targets of opportunity. Akira and Futaba led their groups respectively, tasking themselves with hitting the most challenging targets. The boys did have an advantage in that they had 3 gamers, Akira, Mona and Ryuji, as opposed to the girl's two, Ann and Futaba. Although Mona and Ann did balance each other out, as they were both new to gaming although Mona was growing attached to team-based shooters like Battlefield and Rainbow Six, would have given him an edge in Ann hadn't played more games than him in general. After the fierce exchange, Trixie called for a ceasefire and the Thieves were sent on their way.

The girl's quickly exchanged more tactical info as the moved forward, noting the characteristics of their unusual weapons with Makoto specifically noting how she's been so accurate the past two rounds, something even Futaba was having issues with. Meanwhile the boys were comparing scores, with Yusuke celebrating the fact that he had hit more high scoring targets this time. Their car was spun back around, putting Akira face to face with his girlfriend who playfully narrowed her eyes at him. He rolled his eyes and mouthed to her: _don't make me come over there and tickle you_. She stuck her tongue out at him and crossed her arms, pulling them tightly to her chest before they were spun to the right as they final game station was revealed to them. They were greeted by Woody and Jessie, who ran around setting up the last targets.

"This is it everyone! Get ready!" Woody told them.

"Oh, and some targets will be worth double. So, keep your eyes open!" Jessie advised before ducking out of sight. The Thieves let out a triumphant cry and started firing at the targets darting across the screen. Futaba and Akira were in the zone, while Haru and Mona shouted encouragements to their seatmates while Ann and Ryuji started dishing out smack talk. The battle was fierce and the Thieves were firing their guns as quickly s they could, saturating their targets with an overwhelming amount of fire, just as they all felt themselves getting into a rhythm their cannons ceased firing and Jessie and Woodie stepped out, congratulating them on their marksmanship as they were sent back to the station. As their cars spun to the right the moment of truth was upon them.

The scoreboard revealed that the boys had won by a slim margin.

A cheer went up from their car while the girls groaned in agitation. As they pulled into the station and the thieves disembarked, Morgana walked over to speak with Akira.

"Think we should get the girls their banana split anyways? I could help you pay for it." He offered.

Akira smiled at his friend and gave him a thumbs up, telling Ryuji and Yusuke to grab the nachos while he and Mona went to get the girls their ice cream.

"We were _so_ close!" Ann groaned as they exited the ride building.

"I'd be more than happy to share our nachos with you all, as long as it's ok with you Ryuji." Yusuke offered, exchanging a quick pleading glance with

"Fine by me." The blonde-haired boy replied.

"That's ok Yusuke, you guys won. Fair and square." Makoto replied.

"Well alright, but you'll be missing out!" Ryuji told them.

"Hey, where's my boyfriend?" Futaba wondered.

"He went to take Mona to the restroom." Ryuji told her.

"Probably a good idea, especially with how big these crowds are. I'd hate for Mona to get lost." Haru muttered.

The Thieves made their way into the crowded café and took their seats at the biggest table they could find and chatted amongst themselves while Ryuji ordered the nachos, unaware that Mona and Akira were making there way towards them.

"Ladies, check out what we got you!" Morgana announced, gesturing to Akira who was holding a comically large banana split in a surprisingly ornate plastic bowl that wouldn't haver been put of place inside Toy Story Mania itself as each third of the bowl was themed to Woody, Buzz and Jessie.

"Mona!" Makoto gasped as Akira set the treat down on the table.

"Hey I helped too." He teased as Haru shook her head.

"You know you didn't have to do that you two."

"We know, but we wanted to!" Mona declared as he and Akira sat down while Ryuji marched over with his nachos. As he arrived at the table, he lifted the platter into the air triumphantly.

"Alright guys whose ready for some-"

"RYUJI!" Mona yelped.

"What?" He asked, lowering the platter to find that its contents were gone. He slowly turned around to see that the girl sitting behind him was covered in tortilla chips and a copious amount of cheese. If looks could kill, Ryuji would be a pile of ash on the ground, where the rest of the plate's content had fallen. Ryuji slowly approached the girl with a fistful of napkins, offering them to her with a nervous smile.

"Guess this would be a bad time for a _cheesy_ pick up line huh?"

Yusuke suppressed a laugh as Futaba glared at him.

"Don't you encourage him and his awful puns."

The girl cracked a smile and, much to everyone's surprise, she started laughing, much to Ryuji's surprise.

"You're lucky I love puns." She told him, taking the napkins from him and doing her best to clean herself up.

"You gonna reorder those nachos?"

"Yeah of course."

"Good, you owe me some."

"Alright fair enough and who will I be sharing my nachos with?"

" _Our_ nachos!" Mona snapped.

The girl laughed at the outburst and looked to Ryuji for an explanation.

"Sorry, he's my little brother."

The girl nodded in understanding.

"Well I'm Olivia Wolfe, it's nice to meet you."

"I'm Ryuji Sakamoto-"

"WAIT, _The_ Ryuji Sakamoto? Like CaptainKidd on Twitch?!"

"Yeah, that's me!" He told her with a nervous chuckle.

"I love you! Er-I love your show! Ah jeez, sorry…this just got pretty weird huh?" She muttered.

"We're all about weird over here, Join us!" Futaba half whispered half shouted.

She looked to her parents, who gave her a nod of approval. She got up and pulled her seat over to the table and Ryuji introduced her to the Thieves who all gave her a warm welcome. Once the poor girl stopped nerding out, she was able to partake in the girl's banana split while she awaited the arrival of the nachos. Once they did arrive, she and Ryuji dove into the platter, much to the amazement of everyone else. Her stomach might if been as big, if not bigger than Ryuji's. When it was time for her to depart with her parents, she slipped Ryuji her phone number.

"Call me sometime ok?"

Ryuji nodded enthusiastically.

"Yeah yeah of course."

She smiled at him and then left the café, leaving the Thieves to take in what just happened. After a solid minute of silence, Mona spoke up.

"Can you teach _me_ how to drop an entire platter of food on someone and then get a phone number out of it?"

The gang burst into laughter, while Ryuji just blushed furiously and stared at the little scrap of paper he had been given before smiling brightly and putting it in his pocket.

"Alright guys, where to next?" He asked.

…

Night had fallen on DisneySea. The Thieves stood before what would likely be the one of last ride of the day. The old hotel bore the scars of a powerful lightning strike. The structure was draped in an ethereal violet light and the neon lights of the hotel's sign flickered and buzzed, struggling to stay on.

The Thieves stared nervously at the plaque that read: The Hollywood Tower Hotel.

They all stared as some white glowing letters emerged seemingly from nothingness to cover up the original text, replacing it with: The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror.

Haru seemed chomping at the bit to get going, as she was the only one who had actually taken a trip to the fifth dimension. The others had either been too small during previous visits or were just too scared to ride it. Above them, they could hear the screams of those foolish enough to travel to the twilight zone.

Yusuke studied the structure with concern.

"This will be…"

"Terrifying?" Ann finished.

"Most likely." He replied.

"I could never work up the courage to ride this thing when I was little." Futaba muttered.

"Me neither." Akira told her.

Mona scoffed.

"Well I mean if we made it through the Haunted Mansion how bad could this possibly-"

Thunder boomed, and electricity rippled up the face of the tower. The lights flickered once, twice and then went dark. Screams could be heard in the dark as the lights slowly came back on.

"Oh boy…" Makoto murmured.

"This is gonna be intense." Ryuji muttered.

"We can do this guys! Come on!" Haru declared, leading the group forward and into the queue. As they made their way through the line, the Thieves began assembling their seating order. Akira, Futaba, Ryuji and Yusuke would take up the first row while Mona, Ann, Haru and Makoto would take up the second row.

The lobby of the deserted hotel appeared to be frozen in time. Board games sat on tables, pieces still in place. Unfinished drinks sat undisturbed, the glasses in which they sat coated in a fine layer of dust. Cobwebs coated the furniture, the light fixtures and the post of the bellhops, who seemed undisturbed by the state of their building.

They all wore finely maintained burgundy uniforms with golden trim and watched the guests with a strange fascination, as if they couldn't believe their bravery. Or possibly their stupidity.

The Thieves and their fellow guests had come to a stop in front of a pair of large wooden doors, the group shifting their weight around nervously as they awaited the unknown. All the while, distorted jazz filled the lobby. As if the hotel itself was drawing to lure its guests into a false sense of security.

Then the doors slowly opened to reveal a pale faced bellhop who stepped out from the shadows with a sinister smile on his face. He spread his arms out as if he planned to embrace the group he was now in charge of.

"Welcome ladies and gentlemen to the Hollywood Tower Hotel! please, join me in the library for a short film. Come come, I don't bite."

No one moved.

"Anymore." He snickered as the group started to shuffle forward into the library. The shelves around them were partially covered up by iron bars, held shut by combinations of chain and multiple padlocks. The books rattled in place, with some trying to fly off the shelves like cannon balls only to be held in place by the bars. Mona noticed a type writer locked away with a bunch of books, a partly finished document still in the machine. Upon closer inspection, Mona found the same message had been typed out over and over close to a hundred times:

GET OUT OF THERE FINCHLEY

"Everyone scooch in, make room for your friends and family. It's preferable we check you all in at once. If you find yourself smushed up against a stranger introduce yourself! That way you won't be strangers. After all there's no telling how long we'll all be staying here together." The bellhop told them as the last guests entered the library before the doors creaked, trapping them inside the library.

Then thunder boomed and the lights went dark as the tv that sat on one of the larger shelves came to life, showing guests a sea of static before the film began, showing guests a vast star scape as strange imagines floated past the camera. The first was a door which creaked opened revealing more nothingness as a man began to speak.

" _You unlock this door with the key of imagination. Beyond it is another dimension."_

A pane of glass shattered into a thousand pieces.

" _A dimension of sound."_

An eye ball slowly opened, looking around as the disembodied orb struggled to ascertain exactly what it was seeing or where it even was.

" _A dimension of sight."_

A series of equations floated by, slowly turning into incompressible gibberish before vanishing.

" _A dimension of mind."_

Then came another series of images, a woman falling through space, a stopwatch with its hands turning backwards before the title of the iconic title of the series appeared.

" _You're moving into a land of both shadow and substance, of things and ideas. You've just crossed over into…The Twilight Zone."_

The scene transitioned to showcase of the bustling lobby of the Hollywood Tower Hotel. Movie stars, musicians and other icons of a time long past mingled as the friendly bellhops worked ceaselessly to satisfy the star-studded guests that marched through their doors.

" _Hollywood, 1939. Amid the glitz and the glitter of a bustling, young movie town at the height of its golden age, The Hollywood Tower Hotel was a star in its own right; a beacon for the show business elite."_

The Thieves watched as a group of visitors boarded and elevator, unaware of the horror they were about to be subjected to.

" _Now, something is about to happen that will change all that."_

The music became frantic as the Hollywood Tower Hotel was struck by lightning, an entire segment of the building was electrified before the guests from earlier were shown. They all shook as lighting arced through the elevator before it plunged straight down. The outside of the hotel was shown once more, showing the new guests why the old building appeared to be missing an entire section. Because it _was_ , transported to parts unknown.

All that was left of them was the wreckage of the destroyed elevator shaft, its current floor indicator forever aimed at the number 13.

" _The time is now on an evening very much like the one we have just witnessed."_

Now, standing in the hotel's basement, there was the man who had been telling them the story of the old hotel. He was sharply dressed in a suit and his gaze showed little emotion. His voice was mixed with a knowing cheekiness and a bit of dread. Like he was trying to scare them away from a potentially horrible fate. Never the less, he continued his tale, all while standing before an elevator that was clearly still in working order.

" _Tonight's story on The Twilight Zone is somewhat unique and calls for a different kind of introduction. This, as you may recognize, is a maintenance service elevator still in operation, waiting for you. We invite you, if you dare, to step aboard because in tonight's episode, you are the star. And this elevator travels directly to…The Twilight Zone."_

The TV screen suddenly powered off and the lights flickered back on. The doors to their right swung open and the bellhop from earlier began ushering people down into the basement. The Thieves stayed closed together as they inched down the stairs and into the hotel's machine room. Which, contrary to the hotel lobby, was bustling with activity. Various machines groaned and hummed, having been dormant for decades, it was amazing they bellhops had been able to recommission them all.

"Anybody want to chicken out?" A bellhop asked, holding them short of the boarding area as the elevator was being loaded with another batch of guests.

"N-no way." Mona told him.

"It's just an old elevator, how bad can it be?" Futaba muttered.

"I mean you can only fall _so_ fast, right?"

The bellhop just smiled creepily at her at a familiar DING resonated through the machine room.

"Last chance to change you mind." He told Mona who just shook his head in refusal. The bellhop sighed dejectedly, but he didn't seem all that disappointed.

"Very well, I shall remember you all very fondly. Come come, let's get you all up to your rooms." He grumbled, gesturing for the thieves to follow. After sorting them into rows, he loaded the guests into the elevator. As everyone took their seats, he watched them like a hawk to ensure their safety belts were properly fastened.

"Everyone pull on the yellow tabs, this isn't Peter Pan's adventure my friends. There will be no flying here, not on my watch." He chided. Visually double checking the belts row by row, he headed to the front of the elevator and turned to address them all.

"Make sure to hang on to anything you wish to keep. Hats, sunglasses, souvenirs…"

He looked to Futaba and gave her another creepy smile.

"…loved ones."

She scowled and grabbed onto her boyfriend's arm defensively. The bellhop just nodded in approval and looked to Akira.

"She's a keeper."

Everyone chuckled nervously as he exited the elevator, the entire shaft groaning and the lights flickering as the doors slowly shut. The bellhop called out to them one last time before the doors shut.

"You really should have taken the stairs." He warned as the elevator started to move backward. The voice of the man from earlier started speaking to them as they backed farther and farther away from the doors which seemed like they were miles away, dissipating into the blackness of a vast starfield only for the stars themselves to fade and vanish as well.

"You are the passengers on a most uncommon elevator about to take the strangest journey of your lives. Your destination, unknown, but this much is clear; a reservation has been made in your name for an extended stay."

The elevator ascended with a whir, causing everyone in the vehicle to gasp and whisper to each other nervously as the climbed only to come to a stop a few floors up. Haru shifted uncomfortably.

"Huh, that was a bit faster than I remember."

"Have you been on this recently?" A guy behind her whispered as the elevator dinged and doors slowly opened.

"Its been a few years, why?" She replied.

"Oh man…your fucked." He told her with a chuckle.

Makoto audibly gulped.

"O-oh boy."

They were now staring down a mirror, positioned in the hallways of the hotel. Much like the lobby, the corridor was home to abandoned luggage carts, suit cases and articles of clothing that were either left behind by fleeing guests or by the people whisked away to the fifth dimension. Suddenly, thunder boomed, and the flash of lighting filled the dimly lit hallways. The lights went dark and electricity arced across the mirror. The light that filled the hall and the elevator was an eerie purple, and the Thieves and their fellow riders now gazed at ghostly green reflections of themselves.

"Wave goodbye to the real world, for you have just entered… The Twilight Zone."

The iconic Twilight Zone theme played as the elevator doors closed, the lights went dark again, and the elevator dropped just a few feet, getting a scream out of everyone before it began ascending once more. Noticeably faster this time. It's stop was a bit more violent as well, as the elevator bounced up and down in the shaft for a few seconds before it stabilized, and the doors opened.

"You ok?" Akira asked his girlfriend.

"Yeah, I'm ok. No damn ghost is gonna be touchin you." She replied, tightening her grip on his arm.

"What happened here to dim the lights of Hollywood's brightest showplace is about to unfold once again."

They were staring down a long hallway, which was quickly overcome with the same ethereal purple glow that had swallowed their last stop. The lighting returned, electrifying everything in the hallway. Off in the distance, a group of people materializes. Their faces and features distorted like they were on a static filled screen but it was relatively easy to see who they were. A man, a woman, a little girl, a bell hop and an older man. All of whom stated beckoning the riders to come down and join them. Ryuji gasped as he put the pieces together.

"The family from the video…" he whispered as the little girl began to sing.

"It's raining its pouring, the old man is snoring…"

"You are about to discover what lies beyond the fifth dimension, beyond the deepest, darkest corner of the imagination… in the Tower of Terror. "

The group, like the elevator doors from earlier were seemingly floating father and farther away from them, into an ever-growing void of stars and nothingness but unlike the doors they didn't disappeared. They quickly found themselves in an open box that looked like an elevator. As the doors closed, the little girl finished her song.

"Ashes, ashes, we all fall _down._ "

Her elevator dropped like a rock, and everyone realized what was about to happen.

"FOR REAL?!" Ryuji yelped before the elevator started plummeting and everyone, even Haru, screamed. The elevator fell so fast, Makoto and Haru's pin lanyards floated in front of them for a few seconds before their vehicle slowed and then stopped its fall, rocketing back up towards the top of the shaft, machinery whirring and screeching begore they came to a stop in the middle of the shaft, the elevator violently bouncing in place and giving the riders a brief moment to recover.

"Its gets worse! It gets so much worse!" The guy behind Haru screeched before the elevator fell and then stopped, once, them twice. The vehicle's motors spurred up and it started to climb only to fall again. Akira yelped as he started to float out of his seat, only for Futaba who was already screaming, to pull him back into his seat.

"OH NO YOU DON'T!"

The elevator rocked back up to the top of the shaft, pausing so the riders to get their pictures taken before it dropped again, falling for what felt like the longest drop yet before it came to another shaky stop.

"It is over?!" Ryuji asked before the elevator shot upwards again back towards the top of the shaft. Just as it seemed like it was going to reach the top the elevator fell again, not as long as the last drop. As it came to another stop, Makoto and Haru could be laughing while Mona and Ann held hands tightly, looking to each other nervously before the Tower of Terror sent them for one last ride.

"HANDS UP!" Makoto declared as they flew towards the top of the shaft before dropping against. Futaba, who was screaming with delight now, even put her arms up. Akira laughed as her long red hair floated in the freefall for a few seconds before they were plunged back into darkness. The Elevator had finally ceased its assault on their senses as it slowly moved forward approaching the doors they had left behind at the start of the ride.

All the while, the man from early spoke to them one last time, chastising them for their foolishness.

"The next time you check into a deserted hotel on the dark side of Hollywood, make sure you know just what kind of vacancy you're filling. Or you may find yourself a permanent resident of… The Twilight Zone"

 _Ding_

The doors opened and the bellhop from earlier stepped into the elevator, smiling at first but looking around and realizing everyone had made it back, the smile vanished. The Thieves gathered their things and made their way off the elevator and into the gift shop where the group quickly split up.

Haru and Makoto disappeared in search of pins, while Futaba and Mona went to retrieve the ride photo code. Ryuji and Akira geeked out about how much airtime they had each received while Ann checked on Yusuke who looked to be a little pale.

"Hey, are you ok?" She asked.

"That ride didn't scare you too much did it?"

He shook his head and mustered a smile.

"It was quite exhilarating! It's probably my favorite so far, but…I am not feeling well. I think our brief stints of weightlessness disorientated me. This entire room is spinning…" He told her.

Ann gently took her friend by the arm.

"Come on, lets head outside and sit down for a bit. Some fresh air will help." She told him, walking with him towards to the gift shop. Akira noticed this and headed over.

"You ok Yusuke?"

"I think's he got bit sick after that ride. I'm gonna go outside with him and sit down for a few minutes. Can you buy him a bottled water while you're in here?"

Yusuke looked to his friend.

"Just tell me how much it is and I can reimburse-"

"It's ok buddy, don't worry about that. Just go sit down and take it easy ok?"

"Are you sure?"

"Positive." He replied before the pair continued outside.

After Haru and Makoto returned from pin hunting, each acquiring their own keepsake to commemorate their stay at the Hollywood Tower Hotel, Akira bought Yusuke his water before regrouping with Futaba and Morgana before the group went outside to find Ann and Yusuke sitting on bench.

"You ok?" Ryuji asked him as they all sat down, Akira handing his friend the bottle of water he'd gotten for him.

"The fresh air has helped, although I don't think I should ride anything else to intense today. I fear it'll only aggravate my condition. If you all want to ride the Tower again, I can wait for you all out here."

"No way, we're not leaving you outside all by yourself." Makoto told him.

"The wait's pretty long anyway and the last fast-pass slot was the one we just used." Futaba added.

"Plus I'm hungry. Maybe we should give the rides a rest and go have dinner in Ikspiari."

"Food does sound nice, by the time we get there, I think I'll be feeling better." Yusuke muttered, taking another sip of water.

"Are you sure you don't want to go again without me?"

"As fun as that was, we aren't leaving you out here alone." Mona told him.

"You're stuck with us for life remember?" Akira chided.

Yusuke smiled.

"How could I ever forget?"

Then his eyes went wide, and he looked to Futaba.

"How did the ride photo come out?"

"Awesome as always, check it!" Futaba declared, showing everyone her phone' screen.

In the front row, Futaba had a death grip on her boyfriend, face buried in his shoulder as he looked at her with endearment while he sported a nervous smile, his free hand resting on her knee. The pair exchanged a loving glance as Ann cooed.

"You two are the cutest!"

Next to them, Ryuji and Yusuke knocked another ride photo opportunity out of the park. Ryuji was pretending to be asleep, head back, eyes shut and mouth a gape while Yusuke looked to the camera while gesturing to Ryuji with both arms as if to say

 _Can you believe this guy?!_

Behind them, Mona and Ann had done their own awesome pose. Ann had held out a coin in one hand, which appeared to be floating. She had her free hand up to her mouth in shock while Mona held two fingers to each temple, squinting at the coin in determination. Next to them, Makoto and Haru were facing each other, holding the other's hands, looking to the camera with wide eyes and the biggest pouts they could muster. In order to make it better, all they needed was Acme sign that read: _uh oh_.

The Thieves laughed at themselves, congratulating each other on their awesome ideas. Then Futaba turned to her boyfriend.

"We gotta step up our game!" She told him, to which he nodded in agreement.

Once the laughter had subsided, and Yusuke was feeling better, they all got up and made their way out of the park.

…

The Cave of Wonders Restaurant was exactly as advertised. A place of magic. Here, karaoke rooms were rented out in 2-hour blocks and the guests inside these rooms were given access to the buffet that was comprised of dishes from the west as well as the east.

For the Phantom Thieves, it was heaven.

Morgana and Futaba had their fill of sushi, Ann had access to the sweets from an entire hemisphere from Tokyo to Toulouse. Akira was able indulge in one of the best hamburgers he had ever tasted in his life. Haru and Makoto enjoyed a wide variety of pastas while Yusuke and Ryuji were able to enjoy a excellent cut of steak.

By the time they finished, they were practically in a coma. Having spent the first hour just eating. Once they were able to move again, they began browsing through the karaoke machine's vast array of songs. For a family restaurant, there were as surprising amount of songs they would all expect to hear at a school dance, or possibly even a night club. They were also, for the most part, left uncensored.

"Well we have to start with some Disney songs!" Ann told the group.

"Of course! It's only fitting." Yusuke replied.

"Who's going first?" Makoto asked.

"Well are we doing solos or duets first?" Haru wondered.

"Duets!" Futaba exclaimed, her excitement surprising even Akira.

Ryuji narrowed his eyes at the redhead as she looked to Haru with a sly grin.

 _What are you planning?_ He seemed to ask.

Futaba noticed him eyeballing her and sat up tall and proud, a smug look on her face. Ryuji shifted around nervously. Now Akira noticed her mental scheming and leaned in to whisper to her.

"The last time you had that look on your face, you had just hacked the broadcast signal of every telecom company in the country. What are you up to Taba?"

"Well wouldn't you like to know." She told him before looking to Haru.

"Hey Haru, wanna go grab some desserts with me before we get started?"

"Sure!"

"Alright! Come on, everyone else pick your partner so we can get started when we get back." Futaba instructed before she and Haru left the room.

"Hey Yusuke, wanna sing with me? Ann asked.

"Glady." He replied with a smile.

"Me and you Morgana?" Ryuji asked.

"Sure!" He replied before sliding down the booth seat to Ryuji's side so they could start looking for a song.

Makoto and Akira browsed the song list together, each searching for a song their own partners would approve of. Occasionally asking for the other's opinion while Ryuji and Morgana went back and forth about different songs. Ann and Yusuke had already selected their song and volunteered to go first.

When Futaba and Haru returned, they each brought two plates of sweets and a surprising decree.

"Announcement! Akira, I'm gonna sing with Haru ok?"

Without even stopping to think, her boyfriend nodded understandingly.

"Ok." He assured her before he narrowed his eyes in contemplation.

 _Wait…_

"Sorry Makoto, I'm sure you wanted to sing with me. The next round of duets we can do together.

"That's ok!" Makoto told her with a smile.

"Do you want to sing with me Makoto?" Morgana asked.

"Weren't you going to sing with Ryuji?" She asked.

"Well I was, but we can't agree on a song so maybe its best I sing with you and he can sing with Akira."

"Good idea Mona, you down dude?" Ryuji asked, turning to his friend.

Akira nodded.

"Of course!" He replied.

"Alright! Let's get this started." Futaba exclaimed as she took a seat next to her boyfriend as Ann and Yusuke got up in front of the group, each taking a breath before starting their song. A familiar tune began to play.

 _It's a small world after all…_

Akira laughed as Futaba stood up on the booth seat and pointed at them with such a fury Phoenix Wright would have been proud.

"NO!"

"Kidding guys, ok for real this time…" Ann told them after she stopped laughing, motioning for Yusuke to turn around as their real song started to play. The familiar drumbeat of a Disney classic started to play. The two turned around suddenly, beginning the song in unison.

 _Let's get down to business!_

The Thieves let out a little cheer as karaoke night kicked off with a bang. Afterwards, Ryuji and Akira sang another classic: _You've Got A Friend In Me_

Then it was Morgana and Makoto's turn. The pair took the stage with Mona taking the lead as the song began. Akira laughed to himself when he realized what the song was, remembering how he and Morgana had watched the _Aristocats_ back when the team was still laying siege to Kaneshiro's Palace.

Futaba chuckled as Morgana started dancing around like a suave jazz musician, getting Makoto into it as well. The pair started the next verse in unison. Continuing that way for two verses before Morgana continued on by himself.

He looked to Makoto as she began her solo as the music switched from smooth jazz to a melodic harp solo. As she sang, she locked eyes with Haru who's cheeks noticeably reddened.

She turned to Mona who played an imaginary trumpet as the music transitioned back to the jazz from earlier. From there, the pair finished up the last roaring verse which had everyone clapping to the beat.

After receiving a round of applause from the group Mona and Makoto high fived before sitting down, leaving Haru and Futaba to take the 'stage'. The pair took their places and as the music started to play, Ryuji and Akira exchanged nervous looks. Futaba's scheme was now in motion and they were powerless to stop it.

The pair had selected: _I won't say I'm in love_ from _Hercules._

Haru began with her back turned to Futaba, only turning to look at her as she started to sing. Her face was filled with a wistful sadness.

Futaba smiled sweetly and closed the gap between herself and her friend. The look on her face was serious but had a hint of playfulness behind it. As she sang, she put emphasis on certain words, like she was trying to argue a point but Haru shook her head and walked to the opposite end of the room. Futaba stayed on her heels, intent on getting her point across.

Haru shook her head and turned to face Futaba, her face bright red and her eyes conveying a mixture of frustration and fear.

 _Haru is really getting into this._ Akira thought as Futaba shook her head some more and put an arm around her friend.

Haru pushed the smaller girl away and the pair started going back and forth, acting out a convincing argument complete with hand gestures and appropriate body language. Haru was growing increasingly defensive as Futaba pressed her attack, stepping in front of her and putting a hand on each shoulder. _  
_

Haru looked to the heavens before shutting her eyes tightly, when they opened again, she was looking directly at Makoto as she finished up the song. Makoto's breath audibly hitched.

As the music faded everyone sat in stunned silence before Ann jumped up and squealed about how cute the performance was. The rest of Thieves stood up and clapped, declaring Haru and Futaba the winners of the first round of duets. The girls smiled and took a bow before they took a seat and the group began to discuss if they should do solos or another round of duets before heading out.

All the while, Akira regarded his girlfriend with a grin.

"So _that_ was your plan." He muttered.

"Yup…you and Ryuji better have my money ready by midnight." She replied quietly.

"Midnight?" Akira scoffed.

"I'll admit that was good, but it wasn't _that_ good."

"You sure about that?" She asked before subtly pointing to Haru and Makoto, who were obviously holding hands under the table.

"They've been like that since Haru sat down."

Then Akira audibly gulped as the pair looked into each other's eyes for several seconds before scooting closer to each other.

"Crap you're right." He whispered.

"Mwhehe. Told yah." She replied smugly as Haru and Makoto volunteered to go first in the second round of duets.

…

The Thieves found themselves waiting for Fantasmic to start, with Mona and Akira holding down their spot while the girl went to use the restroom, minus Ann who was heading with Ryuji and Yusuke to find snacks.

The pair sat together in silence, enjoying the tranquility their spot provided them. Most viewers of the show wouldn't arrive until the last minute, filling in every last spot right before the show got underway. The ships that normally crossed the small lake had been brought in for the night so various show elements could be prepared. Mona would occasionally ask a question about what the cast members were doing, and Akira would answer as best as he could.

One of his questions ended up catching him completely off guard.

"Hey Akira?"

"Hm?"

"What its like to be in love?"

The older boy gave him a quizzical look.

"What makes you ask?"

"I'm trying to figure something out…" He replied, clearly trying to be vague.

"Well Mona…its hard to say, because everyone's different when it comes to love."

"To some people, like me, it gives you a sense of comfort. Like you have this connection with this person and when life gets rough, it's the only thing you can be certain of. Like when we were going after Shido, everything was on the line. The Phantom Thieves, my freedom, you guys, Sojiro, just everything. But it was nice to have Futaba with me on those days, because she was right there with me every step of the way. It took a huge burden off my shoulders, knowing I had something, someone, to come back to when it was all over."

"I see…" Mona muttered.

"To others, like Futaba, it's like an anchor. It keeps her grounded. Her anxiety gets bad sometimes, especially at night, but you've lived with us both long enough to know that. She'll call in the middle of the night, and I'll have to help her calm down. Sometimes it takes a few minutes, sometimes it takes a couple of hours, but she knows she'll always be able to talk to me about anything. So, no matter how lost she gets inside her head, she knows she can always count on me to find her way out."

"Doesn't that get hard?"

"Yeah of course, its hard to take care of someone else, and its hard to let someone else take care of you, because you have to lower your guard and leave yourself completely vulnerable to this one person who could destroy you with a few sentences or one single action but that's part of loving someone. Trusting them not to do that to you. It's scary, terrifying even, but it's so important."

Mona nodded again and went silent for a long time, lost in thought.

"What's on your mind bud?" Akira asked.

"Well…for the longest time I thought I was in love with Lady Ann, but now I'm not so sure. I don't think she'd ever be able to have something like what you and Futaba have with me…" He muttered.

"You really like her, huh?"

Mona nodded.

"I know she doesn't like me though…I think I've known for a while now. I just didn't want to accept it. Pretty awful of me huh?"

"No, no not at all Mona. You can just get rid of something like that overnight. It takes time, but its nothing to be sorry about."

"Part of me doesn't know I can get rid of it though…"

"You may not, I know I'm like that. There's still a part of my heart that belongs to the girls I met before Futaba but that's just who I am. Futaba knows that, and she loves me with all her heart anyway because she knows that I love her and I would never exchange her for one of those girls, because what we have is amazing. You may be just like me, you can still love someone even if they don't feel the same way about you. You just need to take that love and focus it somewhere else. Be there for Ann, and you can still show her that you love her, just in a different way. It may not be the way you had hoped for, but that's how life works sometimes. We can find our soulmates, but that doesn't mean we're their soulmates."

Mona nodded, seemingly feeling a bit better about the situation.

"I'm glad you found me in Kamoshida's palace." He muttered.

"Well I'm glad I found you." Akira replied with a smile.

"…You know that fox I saw in the Observatory of the Future?" Mona asked.

"Yeah, what about her?"

"I've been thinking about her all day…her voice, it sounded so familiar and when she called out to me, then just as the vision ended we locked eyes. After that, I felt like I had known her for a lifetime…" Mona began.

"I have to find her."

Akira's eyes widened when he realized what his friend was implying.

"So you think she's in an echo of the Metaverse?"

"She has to be, I can feel it in my gut."

"Ok…I help you find her." Akira said with a confidant nod.

"Find who?" Ann asked as she walked up and sat down next to Mona.

"A girlfriend, Mona wants me to help him find a girlfriend." Akira improvised, still not ready to tell his friends about the possible return of the Metaverse. Ann gasped and wedged herself between Mona and Akira, bombarding the poor guy with questions.

"You have a crush on someone Mona? Who is it? Do we know her? Does she come to Leblanc a lot?"

"Sorry Ann, that a secret between me and him. Two bros." Akira told her.

Ann faked a pout while Mona blushed furiously.

"I can't believe you Akira."

"You'll be briefed on the situation when the time is right." He assured her.

"I better be…" She grumbled as the others walked over to sit down.

Futaba was explaining to Yusuke how the Fantasmic show had changed over the years and what technology had done to enhance the show, in particular, she focused on the animatronic dragon that would appear in the finally. Ryuji was texting Olivia, sending her pictures of his adventures with his family, prompting her to do the same. Haru and Makoto walked over arm in arm, each sporting a new pin. The classic mickey ears, but redesigned with the colors of the pride flag. Ann smiled at them lovingly as they both sat down, their budding romance all but verbally confirmed.

As the show got underway, Akira turned to his girlfriend and motioned for her to come closer. After she snuggled up to him, he started to speak. The images from the Observatory of the Future still fresh in his mind.

"Taba?"

"Hm?"

"…Where do you see yourself a few years from now?"

"A few years from now? Uh…"

Akira grimaced at her red cheeks, what was he thinking, asking about something like this out of nowhere.

"I'm sorry I didn't mean to-"

"I can see myself waking up to find you sleeping next to me." She began quietly, briefly shutting her eyes to picture it all.

"Wrapped up around me with a dog at the foot of our bed. You'll wake up and we'll go out for a morning stroll. We'll chat the morning away before heading to Leblanc for breakfast before heading home. Where we'll game the day away. I'll be sitting in your lap, kicking your ass at whatever we decided to play. Later we'll make dinner and take the dog out for a walk before we come home for the night and we'll have the most amazing sex-"

"Taba!" Akira exclaimed softly, his face beet red.

"What? It's true! Well I hope it'll be true anyway." She replied, opening her eyes.

"I know I'll spoil you and I'm sure you'll spoil me." Now she was the one blushing.

Akira tried to form a coherent sentence, but he was too flustered. She just smiled sweetly at him before continuing. "And afterwards, both of us safe in each other's arms and I'll fall asleep, knowing that tomorrow starts and ends with you."

Akira gently squeezed her hand and she just smiled at him before giving him a deep but all too short kiss.

"I love you." He sighed.

"I love you too." She said proudly, resting her head on his shoulder.

"Seriously though, one day I am gonna rock your world."

Akira laughed and looked away, trying to hide his reddening cheeks.

"Taba…" He murmured as she chuckled and shook her head.

"You're so cute when you get all embarrassed." She teased, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek before turning her attention back to the show. The team watched with smiles on their faces as Mickey Mouse put on quite the performance. The Thieves were content with getting to take it easy after another day of rollicking adventure. They had one day left in the Magic Kingdom, a day they would use to ride their favorite rides as much as they could with the aid of their Park Hopper Pass. Once the park closed tomorrow, they would have to return to real world.

As the show came to an end, Akira smiled at a drowsy Mona and pulled him into his arms. The real world could wait. They still had plenty of adventure left in all of them and tomorrow looked to be as promising as today.

"Come on, let's head back." Akira told his friends as they made their way back to their hotel.

…

A.N- And so ends the Tokyo Disney Arc. Once again hope that wasn't too repetitive for you guys. By the way, anyone hoping for fan art of those ride photos? I know I am!

Heheh X)

Anyway, sorry this one took so long! I got stuck on certain parts because I was ready to move on past the whole Disney thing. So I apologize if some parts seem rushed or just plain bad. Next update we'll be getting back to Futaba and Akira's relationship developing more and more as the summer goes on, so look forward to that. Also, the B Plot revolving around the Metaverse coming back will be a bit more prominent as the last few pieces of this new game get moved into place. From then on, Akira and Futaba as well as the rest of the Thieves will be hit with a new wave of challenges as they grow up. I'm excited to see what everyone will think of the Summer Arc when we reach it's end. For now though, thank you for reading! I look forward to seeing everyone's comments/reviews. They always make my day!

Until next time my lovely readers!


	9. 01000011 01110010 01101111 01110111

01000111 01110101 01100101 01110011 01110011 00100000 01010111 01101000 01101111 00111111

ERROR

Hibernation State: Untenable

Contacting Maintenance Team…

Satellite Uplink Failed…

Initiate Emergency Boot…

Initializing Hydraulics…

Initializing HUD…

The world came into focus for Aigis as her vision cleared, showing the darkened room she had sequestered herself in for almost a year. Her internal mechanisms groaned and whirred as she slowly got to her feet and stumbled forward, catching herself on a nearby workbench. When she did, she noticed a small dust cloud fall to the floor beneath her. She had stopped checking the date of her awakenings long ago, instead fumbling for the thick black power cable that she used to keep herself functional, clumsily plugging it into the back of her head as air vents on her shoulder blades, calves and the small of her back opened, the fans humming and keeping her from overheating during the charging process as she reached around in the dark before her hand found what she was looking for.

She pulled the handgun off the table and held it with both hands running along inscription on the weapon as she sorted through her communication logs, which had gone unchecked for almost a year now. She found dozens of messages from her friends, asking and at a certain point begging, for her to come home. She simply whimpered and held the evoker closer to her chest.

Had this all been for nothing?

Some cruel joke that someone had dared to play on her?

She had gone quite a while without her beloved, comforted by his embrace only in her memories. She had thought she had been strong enough to go on without him, living a life he never got to lead because of her. When seemingly out of the blue, she had been contacted by a young man from Tokyo who told her that Makato was, in fact, alive.

She had analyzed the voice message one hundred and fifty thousand times, looking for any hint of treachery yet she found no such signs. She tried matching voice samples to every database she could access but could find no sign of this mystery man, aside from a handful of tv interviews but surely the young man who had been speaking to her couldn't have contacted her three months after his death. She had ruled the finding an impossibility and opted to travel to Tokyo per his instructions with assurances that if she was patient enough, he would make contact with her.

He never did.

She placed the evoker back on the table and sighed, looking down in despair, pulling her charging cable out and winding it up around her arm. Perhaps it was time to go home and apologize to her friends for disappearing.

As she tidied up her makeshift room, she brought up her comm system and made one last attempt to save the mission, broadcasting her message on every channel she could reach.

"Crow? This is Aigis, do you copy?"

The silence was deafening and as she picked up Makato's evoker and holstered it, the static gave way to a garbled transmission.

"Aigis? This is Crow, can you hear me?"

"Yes! I can hear you, Crow. I'm at the rendezvous point like we discussed."

"Excellent, apologies for my absence Aigis. I've been…indisposed for some time. Much too complex to explain right now. Because of this, we'll have to change our rendezvous location again. I'll send you my coordinates right away. Make your way over as soon as you can!"

"I understand, see you soon Crow."

"See yah."

…

Their echoes conversation carried across the city like a thunderclap, reaching through the fabric of reality and falling upon the Velvet Room with a terrible fury. Lavenza sat at the bar, sipping on some tea when these echoes fell upon her ears, almost making her drop her tea.

"Master!

"I heard Lavenza, Goro Akechi is still alive. It would seem an unseen force is moving against us, positioning its pieces for a deadly game. A game with rules and objectives that are yet to be revealed to us."

"What are we going to do?"

"Warn Morgana at once, he must prepare our trickster for our enemy's first strike without delay. In the meantime-" Igor stood as the Velvet Room shifted around, changing in shape before their very eyes.

"We must level the playing field. I will be inviting Yu Narukami back to the Velvet Room."

…

A.N.- I'm alive! Sorry I've been gone for so long everyone! I hope this little chapter at least starts to make up for my long absence. It's been a crazy few months with getting my pilot's license and heading home to visit family but now I'm back and End of the Line is back too! This little scene was supposed to act as a preface for the next chapter, but I decided to post it just to let you all know I'm back! So sorry if this is a little lackluster but I hope it gets you all excited for what is to come! With school back underway I'm looking to publish a chapter every week. It'll be a tough schedule to keep but I think I can do it, even if I have to shorten up my chapters. Expect the next chapter to drop soon!

Until next time my lovely readers!


	10. Color Coded

Color Coded

Stagnant, that's what Futaba's mind felt like. Not because she couldn't think of anything, but because she was thinking too much.

Her friend Kana's visit was drawing closer and her once overwhelming joy at the the prospect of seeing her best friend for the first time in forever was now replaced by a growing sense of dread. She had been texting Kana almost non-stop the past few days with her friend's replies growing increasingly infrequent.

Was she annoying her? What if she got so annoyed she decided not to come. Was she in trouble with her parents again? If she was, why wouldn't she say anything? Surely, she knew that she could tell her anything? Unless...

Unless Kana wasn't her best friend anymore. The pair had only recently started talking again. The wounds from there parting were still fresh. Although Kana had told her everything was all a big misunderstanding and that Futaba had done nothing wrong, the fact remained that for a long time, Futaba thought Kana hated her.

Futaba had always thought that it was fair. She messed up, really messed up. It was only fair that she be punished for her wrongdoings. With all that seemingly behind them, Futaba had been hoping for a fresh start with a chance to redeem herself, but now she found their friendship on a precarious edge.

She ran her thumb over the edge of her phone, staring at the screen with dull eyes.

She worried Kana wasn't telling her something. Something important. A small fire sprang to life in her heart and she started to unlock her phone, ready to ask Kana if there was anything she needed to tell her, but the fire in her heart grew cold and faded into embers that floated from her chest and into her eyes, making them water.

Kana was fine. Kana was always fine. If something was wrong she would of text her about it the minute it started. She didn't need her protection. She never had, never would.

It was Futaba who was the problem.

On days like today, she was toxic. Impossible to please. Impossible to comfort. She clung onto Kana and the rest of her friends like a crutch whenever she started backsliding into the person she used to be before the Phantom Thieves. She even suspected that she hadn't changed at all. How long would it be before Kana caught on to this fact and left her to drown? How long until Akira came to the same conclusion?

Tears streaked down her cheeks as she buried her face in her pillow.

Why was she like this? Why? Why was it that the only she could be depended on for was unceremoniously fucking up everything that was good in her life?

She looked up at her phone as it buzzed in her hand, hurriedly unlocking it to find...an ad for Ultra-Sabers. Apparently, they were having a sale. Futaba sat up and went back to rubbing the edge of her phone as it buzzed again, showing a text from Akira.

It was a black and white picture of Jack from Bioshock, looking bloody and bruised, clutching his side with one hand and a wrench in the other. Before Akira could even send his caption, Futaba chuckled and typed out her reply.

 _Mood._

 _Can you believe someone drew this? Look at the detail!_

 _Wait what? How is that mood?  
_  
Futaba cursed silently.

 _Haha sorry, just wasn't sure how to reply._

 _You? Not geeking out to fanart? Riiiiight._

Shit

 _Color?  
_  
 **SHIT  
**  
Futaba hesitated before taking a shaky breath.

 _Orange._

The response came instantly.

 _Coming over.  
_  
Futaba threw her phone across the room in frustration.

Damnit. 

...

Akira and Futaba had long ago come up with a system to keep an eye on each other when their depression or anxiety reared its ugly head. A color-coded system that was easy to understand and quick to type.

Green was good. Nothing too complicated there.

Yellow was ok. Not great. Not bad. Just ok.

Orange was bad. A bad day that left them feeling sad, tired and stressed.

Red was really bad, asking the other to stop by and keep an eye on them and help them work through their episode.

Black was an emergency that meant they posed a risk to themselves or people around them.

Akira had contingencies in place for each color, especially now that he lived and worked at Leblanc. His first move had been to familiarize Sojiro with their color system. At first, he had been skeptical to the idea of simplifying complex emotions into basic colors but nevertheless accepted the system's efficiency.

Per his contingences, Akira told Sojiro what was going on and was able to get off work at Leblanc early and made his way to the Sakura residence. Bringing a small backpack that he kept stocked with games, movies, non-perishable snacks and of course Morgana, who brought his own supplies.

"So, what going on with Futaba again?" He asked. "Shouldn't the change of heart we triggered in her have fixed all this?"

Akira cringed at his friend, but only briefly. Morgana may have been the representation of the human spirit, but his grasp on the more complicated aspects of human emotions was still something he struggled with from time to time.

"Well we helped her a lot when we changed her heart, but at the end of the day, she's still sick. Depression isn't something that we, even with our powers, can get rid of. Futaba spent a long time thinking her mother's death was her fault. That kind of pain, it leaves some pretty serious scars. She may go through days like these for the rest of her life."

"So, she'll never be ok then?" Mona asked.

"I don't know…"

"That's ok though, she Takemi, and the Chief and us." His friend said with a determined nod.

"Exactly." Akira replied as they summited the stairs to the Sakura house, rapping gently on the door as he came to a stop.

No response.

Akira knocked again, a little more forcefully this time.

"Taba?"

Mona eye's narrowed as he listened in. He heard nothing from inside. No music. No game audio. No muttering about a particularly stubborn line of code. Nothing.

"Futaba?" Akira asked again, knocking even harder. Mona flinched at the sound of Joker raising his voice. He had never heard him shout like that since their days as Phantom Thieves. The young man clenched his fists and took a deep breath, trying to slow his racing heart.

She wouldn't that to him. She told him everything.

Everything…right?

"M-mona back up."

"Uh ok, what are you-"

"I'm gonna kick the door down."

"You're gonna WHAT?!"

"Futaba hang on!" Akira shouted as he brought up his leg only for the door to swing open. His better half was in black and white gym shorts and was wearing a white t-shirt with the Ravenclaw crest on the chest and the Hogwarts crest on both sleeves. Her headphones were resting on her neck, pinning some strands of frizzy red hair down and her violet eyes were filled with weariness.

"Hey hot stuff." She said weakly, trying to put on a brave smile and tried to look her boyfriend in the eyes. Akira shook his head and took a shaky breath.

"You scared me."

Futaba's eyes sunk to the floor.

"I'm really sorry…"

Akira pulled her into a hug, and she smushed herself against him as best she could, even stepping onto his shoes just to be closer.

"It's ok." He told her, rubbing her back as Mona threw his arms around her as well. Prompting her to whimper and hug him back before the three went inside, setting up camp on Futaba's bed. She brought over her gaming laptop which she placed in her lap as Akira pulled out his own laptop and Mona brought out his snacks and his Nintendo DS. Futaba dimmed the lights just a tad and lent up against her boyfriend before putting an arm around Mona, who scooted closer to her.

"Thanks guys." Futaba muttered as Akira pulled out a large bag of potato chips, opening it up and placing in next to Futaba.

"Whatcha wanna play?" Akira asked.

"Thinking…" His girlfriend told him before looking to Mona.

"What are you playin' bud?"

"Pokémon SoulSilver." He replied, showing his friend his Pokémon team. "Akira told me it's a classic when we found it in Akihabra a few days ago."

"Oh it's a classic alright. Looks like you're not too far in but you've already got a Cyndaquil, A Vulpix, A Hoothoot and a Sandshrew!? Nice Mona!" She told her friend, ruffling his hair.

"Thanks." He said with a smile before looking over to her computer.

"What are you and Joker gonna play?"

"I don't know…" She told him, taking off her glasses and using the bottom of her shirt to wipe away some smudges, looking to Akira in the corner of her vision.

"Any suggestions love?"

"Hmmm….how about ARK?"

"Oh yeah, we haven't played that in forever! Let's do it!"

"Alright, you got it!"

"What's ARK?" Moana wondered.

"It's a game where you're on this deserted island that's filled with dinosaurs and a bunch crazy sci-fi tech!"

"Sounds cool!"

"It's super fun, we'll have to get you a gaming laptop so you can play sometime." Futaba told him as she got her computer set up.

"Think Ann is playing?" She asked her boyfriend.

"No, she's had back to back photoshoots the past few days. She was saying it's been rough." Akira replied.

"Aw, poor Ann. She works so hard." Futaba muttered.

"I've always admired her drive." Mona said with a smile.

Futaba looked at Akira and gave him a smirk that said:

 _So cute!_

"Haru's playing though!" Akira told her, nodding to acknowledge her little glance.

"Oh? Where's she at?"

"Uh I think she's in the jungle trying to find…uh, I'm not even going to try and say that." Akira told her as he read her last message. Futaba gestured for him to turn his computer towards her, where she saw the name Arthuraplura.

"Hmm, no idea, but we won't find any answers here. Let's check it out." She declared before the pair dived in.

…

After a few hours of stalking a giant centipede through the jungle, Haru finally had the new mount she had been trying to track down for weeks and the trio had managed to level up two times in one session, a rarity for a game like ARK.

During their playthrough, Akira had been watching Futaba closely, trying to read her mood. Once they were playing, her mood had improved but she was still looking pretty blue. Video games were helping, but the leader of the Phantom Thieves knew that it some time outside might to her some good.

Eager to see if he could rally the troops, Akira opened up the Discord chat app on his desktop and sent out a message.

 _Akira: Hey guys, anybody want to get together for a game called Fugitive? Futaba was telling me about it a little while ago._

His girlfriend's eyes lit up at the message and she quickly added on to it.

 _Futaba: My friend Kana was telling me about it! I can explain the rules when we meet up but basically, it's a big game of tag combined with king of the hill._

 _Ryuji: That sounds awesome! I just finished streaming some of Battlefield 5, so I'd be down with getting outside and getting some fresh air._

 _Mona: You don't take breaks when you stream?_

 _Haru: Well It would mean Makoto and I have to post pone starting our playthrough of Alien Isolation, but that's ok. Something tells me she needs another day of mental prep time._

 _Ryuji: Course I do, I just don't go outside. Its usually a restroom break._

 _Makoto: That game just looks really scary ok?_

 _Futaba: Oh it is! Mwhahaha! You will not be ready!_

 _Makoto: Oh boy… __

 _Haru: Futaba…_

 _Futaba: Sorry!_

 _Ann: Fugitive huh? That sounds like a lot of fun! When and where do we wanna meet up?_

 _Yusuke: Such an activity will require a wide-open space, not easy to find in the city. Perhaps Inokashira Park would suffice?_

 _Akira: That'd be perfect!_

 _Makoto: The park is open until 9 PM, that gives us two and half hours to meet up and play._

 _Yusuke: I will be ready to depart from my dorm in 45 minutes. It won't take me long to get to Inokashira._

 _Ann: I just finished up with a photoshoot, So I need to change into work out clothes and eat some dinner but after that I'm down to play._

 _Ryuji: I'm ready to go when everyone else is. I'll probably make myself some dinner before I head out as well._

 _Makoto: I'm actually on my way to Haru's to have dinner as well, so we'll head over together._

 _Haru: Dinner should be ready by the time you get here, I'm trying a new recipe tonight. I hope you like it!_

 _Makoto: Can't wait! :)_

 _Haru: XOXO_

 _Ryuji: Jeez get a room you two!_

 _Haru: XP_

 _Makoto: Alright, we'll take yours, since you aren't using it for anything._

 _Futaba: Holy shit! That was awesome Queen! XD_

 _Ryuji: For your information, I actually I am using it. Olivia is coming over later tonight to watch a movie, but now we might have to reschedule._

 _Ann: NOPE! Tell her to join us!_

 _Futaba: YAAAS_

Akira sent a GIF of Shia Lebouf's infamous, Just DO IT skit.

 _Haru: You should invite her! The more the merrier!_

 _Makoto: Definitely! Now that you two are seeing each other, I need to make an assessment on how good of a girlfriend she is being._

 _Ann: Come on Skull, do it!_

 _Yusuke: I believe the team has spoken Ryuji._

 _Ryuji: I guess they have, I'll give her a shout._

 _Futaba: YIS!_

 _Ann: Hey guys, is it ok if I invite Shiho along? She's in town for a family reunion and I bet she'd love to see everyone._

 _Akira: Of course!_

 _Makoto: I haven't seen her in forever! Definitely see if she wants to tag along._

 _Ann: Ok!_

 _Akira: Anybody mind if I see in Mishima wants to tag along?_

 _Ryuji: Go ahead dude!_

"Alright, let's get ready to go everyone." Akira announced as Futaba started to get up off of her bed only to notice the weight up against her side wasn't moving. She turned to see that Mona was fast asleep, DS in his lap, curled up against her.

"Akira…" Futaba whispered, prompting him to turn and look at who was essentially his little brother cuddled up against his girlfriend.

"I need to shower but I don't want to move." She muttered, running her hands through Morgana's hair and scratching his scalp with her fingernails.

"I feel like moving right now would be a criminal offense." Akira admitted.

Futaba sighed and rested her head against his shoulder.

"You know, if you were to go back in time and tell me that I would be sitting in my room, playing video games with my boyfriend and one of my best friends while cuddling and eating potato chips, I would have called you a jerk for getting my hopes up like that."

Her eyes focused on something across the room, an invisible horizon that only she could see. Akira winced as he imagined what it was, she was seeing. A busy intersection she still avoided to this day, perhaps a pyramid? It was impossible to know for sure. Without even looking at him, she spoke, her voice sounding as hollow as it was when it came from her shadow.

"I don't deserve this." She muttered, pulling her hand away from Morgana and shutting her eyes tightly, tears starting to flow even as she tried to stop them by shaking her head.

"I don't deserve any of this."

Akira slowly put his arms around his girlfriend pulling her into a tight embrace.

"It's not about deserving, you earned this." He told her. "You may forget it from time to time, but I'll always be here to remind you if you do. Till the day I die."

That managed to muster a chuckle from Futaba.

"You sure you wanna be stuck with me that long?

"I wanna be with you forever Taba."

"Forever is a long time Akira."

"Yeah that's kinda what I'm counting on." He admitted.

Futaba nuzzled her face into her boyfriend's neck.

"I love you so much."

"I love you too."

They stayed like that for a few minutes before parting, their eyes turning to the still sleeping Morgana.

"Well I was going to invite you to shower with me but I'm not waking Mona up." Futaba huffed.

"He's too cute like this."

"Maybe we take a 30-minute power nap and then head out? Shower when we get back?" Akira offered.

"Good plan Joker." She replied with a sly smile before turning to Mona and pulling him into her arms. "Now how are we going to do this?"

"I know, lay down next to me." Akira told her, rearranging pillows and blankets as she scooted into position. Akira put his arm around her as she laid down, the two them pulling Morgana on top of the two of them, with the both of them wrapping an arm around Mona to keep him close by as Futaba nuzzled her head up against her boyfriend's, eyes fluttering shut within minutes and Akira following suit not long after.

"Taba?" He asked, eyes still closed.

"Hm?"

"Color?" He asked turning towards her before she gave him a kiss.

"Green." She replied sleepily before falling silent.


	11. Summer Nights

Summer Nights

Darkness had fallen on Inokashira park as Akira and Ann walked through the darkened side paths, staying away from the street lamps so as to remain hidden from view. Ann was wearing a baseball cap that she had brought along, and Akira was wearing a baggy hoodie with the hood on and his glasses tucked into his pockets.

"See anything?" Akira asked his friend.

"Nope, not a thing," Ann replied, checking over her shoulder.

"How much farther?" Akira asked, squinting.

"We're almost there, and it looks like the statue is unguarded."

Ann explained as her friend's phone buzzed. As he took it out, she leaned over to take a look at the message from Futaba, raising an eyebrow at the text.

"The eagle flies backwards at midnight?" She grumbled.

"It means the coast is clear," Akira told his friend.

"You guys have code words?" Ann asked.

"Mhmm. A bunch. She made up most of em." Akira said with a nod.

Ann scrunched her eyebrows as if struggling to remember something.

"So, what does, 'the chocolate moose is not in season mean?'"

Akira blushed fiercely.

"Don't worry about it."

Ann stopped cold in her tracks.

"12 o' clock." She hissed.

Akira peered into the darkness and saw two figures standing watch in the darkness. Their vague shapes resembled that of a man and a woman.

"Who could that be?" Ann whispered as they slowed their pace.

"It's not Futaba, too tall," Akira replied.

"I'd know that slouch anywhere, it's Ryuji which means the girl is Olivia," Ann replied, looking closer.

"So, where's Mishima and Morgana?"

"No idea," Akira said, his eyes shifting around.

"If we keep going, they're going to recognize us." Ann chided.

"I know…get ready to run." Her friend replied, typing out a text to Futaba.

 _It's a cold day for pontooning._

A minute later, he heard his girlfriend scream in the distance.

"FRIGGIN' RUN SHIHO!"

Akira and Ann sprinted forward, cutting through shrubbery as Ryuji cursed and gave chase with Olivia in tow.

"No freakin way you're getting to that statue!" Ryuji shouted, slowly catching up to Ann. Across the field, he could see Futaba and Shiho sprinting away from Mishima and Morgana, who were hot on their tail.

"Futaba what happened?!" Akira yelped, throwing his arms up in the air.

"Mona heard my phone go off, I forgot to set it to silent!" She replied as the little kid right behind her hopped up and wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Gotcha!" Mona declared.

"Go on without meeeeee!" Futaba declared as Akira, Ann and Shiho left her in the dust.

The statue was near, Akira figured he and Ann might just make it. That's when Haru revealed herself, dropping down from a tree and landing right in front of Akira and Ann and tapping them both on the shoulder as they passed.

"Gotcha!" She sang, putting her hands on her hips as Shiho made it to the lion statue, slapping it on the snout.

"I'm safe!" She shouted, jumping for joy.

"That's game!" Makoto said from her perch atop the lion statue

Haru was surprised by this as were the other defenders.

"How-how'd you-"

"I snuck past you all of course!" Makoto declared a smug smile on her face.

"How'd you miss her Haru?" Ryuji asked as he walked over.

"She sent me a cat video to distract me." She said, her eyes examining the ground while she rubbed her arm.

"You fell for that?" Mishima wondered.

"Who's ever been betrayed by a cat video?!" Haru exclaimed, waving her arms in distress.

"She's got a point there," Ann replied as Shiho nodded in agreement.

"I'm never gonna trust a cat video again," Haru muttered as Makoto made her way over to her girlfriend's side.

"Aw, babe I'm sorry." She said, pulling Haru into a hug.

"Anything I can do to make it up to you?"

Haru, still jokingly pouting, scrunched up her eyebrows in thought.

"You can make me your famous macaroons when we go home." She offered.

Makoto planted a kiss on her cheek.

"Done!"

"Alright guys, we have time for one more round. Everyone ok with switching sides?"

"Sounds good to me!" Mona declared.

"I've actually gotta head out, but Yusuke can take my spot on the Fugitive's team," Mishima said, putting his phone back into his pocket.

Akira's gaze shifted to his friend.

Yusuke had been detached from the group for most of the night. Sitting out rounds despite the insistence of the others to join in. Instead, Yusuke would sit on a nearby planter, staring off into space.

"What's wrong?" Futaba asked as she walked up to her boyfriend.

"Hm?"

"You've got that Joker look. What are you thinking about?"

"Oh, well I'm just worried about Yusuke. He's been really quiet tonight. More quiet than usual."

"You should go check on him real quick."

"Think so? I don't want to make him feel bad for being, well, Yusuke."

"It's Yusuke. He won't mind. He knows we're always worrying about him. Plus, you're good at noticing when one of us is acting weird. You're almost never wrong." She assured him.

Akira gave her hand a quick squeeze.

"Be right back."

As Akira approached, Yusuke stood up and walked forward to meet him.

"Are we starting the next round?" He asked.

"Yeah in a minute, I just wanted to check on you. You seem kind of…distant."

Yusuke's eyes widened in alarm.

"Ah, I'm sorry. I suppose I haven't been very sociable tonight. I apologize."

"No no, it's ok, I just wanted to make sure everything is ok with you." Akira began. "I know we haven't hung out much since I got back."

"I'm actually doing rather well. I just got off the phone with someone in the art world. They've invited me to display some of my newest works at an art gallery in Singapore as part of an exhibit on up and coming artists in countries across Asia. I was their selection for Japan. I leave for the exhibit's opening next month." Yusuke said with a proud smile.

Akira raised his eyebrows.

"Seriously?"

Yusuke nodded.

"That's incredible Yusuke! Congrats!"

"Thank you, my friend."

"How long will you be gone?"

"Two weeks. The first week is meant for all of us to prepare a painting of Singapore, in our own style, for the opening. The following week is the opening itself and the events that come with it. The museum has agreed to house me for the duration of the event and the money they paid me to buy my paintings will be more than enough spending money."

Yusuke frowned.

"I only wish I had someone to share the journey with. The museum told me I could bring someone, presumably a significant other but I don't have anyone like that, and I couldn't bring myself to choose only one of you."

Akira put his hands in his pockets and looked down at the ground.

"I'm sorry, that sucks. Being on your own is never fun." He said, recalling his first few days in Tokyo.

"I don't mind being alone. Alone with my thoughts and my brushes. It allows me to be myself. Away from the judgmental gazes of my classmates, or the overbearing attitude of Madarame. Always wanting to turn my ideas into his. Perhaps you should do it this way, or perhaps you should try this. If that's what he wanted, then why wouldn't he paint it himself?"

Yusuke sat down on the edge of a nearby planter and Akira quickly followed suit.

"When I'm alone, I'm at peace with my reality. I'm different. Too different for most people. Not for you all though, and I am grateful for that, but I also have been coming to terms with something. One day, you, Futaba, Makoto, Ryuji. All of you will have lives of your own. Perhaps a family. I'm excited to see that unfold but I know there is no place for me in that picture."

Akira shook his head quickly.

"Yusuke, I'm sure you'll find someone that-"

"I don't think so, my friend. I am many things. Strange. Eccentric but not romantic and certainly not lovable. There are some people in this world, like me, that have no other half. No soul mate. Because we are already complete. Because we were made to be alone. It will not be easy, but being lonely is nothing unfamiliar to me."

Akira put a hand on the artist's shoulder.

"Yusuke, you know no matter what happens in 5 or 10 years, if you need anything, my door is always open to you."

"I know Akira, I know." He took a breath. "One can be lonely, but loneliness doesn't mean that you truly are alone. You taught me that."

Akira smiled.

"Good, just don't forget ok?"

"I won't." His friend assured him as they both stood up and walked over to the rest of their friends.

…

A few minutes later, after the fugitives had left, Akira and Futaba were walking through the darkness on patrol, quietly chatting about Yusuke's predicament.

Futaba clung to her boyfriends' arm, looking up at him in concern.

"Poor Inari." She muttered.

"I never thought about it like this, I mean, all his big moments in his life. He's had no one Taba. Someone should be there for this! I mean getting picked as the top artist in the country and being invited to an exhibit opening at an art museum? That's crazy!"

"Crazy awesome!" She added.

"Right?"

Akira shook his head.

"We have to be there."

"Too bad you don't have a totally awesome girlfriend that makes mincemeat out of corporate cybersecurity in her spare time. Such a girlfriend could conceivably get us all a plane ticket to Singapore and some hotel rooms for a criminally low price in an oversized sweater and her underwear on a Tuesday night with one hand tied behind her back."

"Sounds amazing, I'd sure like to see that."

"I bet you would," Futaba replied with a smirk before smushing herself up against her boyfriend.

"I haven't gotten some alone time with you in forever. Don't get me wrong, I love Mona and our friends, but it hasn't just been the two of us doing anything for a while."

"I know, it sucks. I'd like some quality time with you too."

"Maybe if we can get this Singapore thing to happen, we can…um…"

"What?"

Akira rubbed the back of his neck, trying to think of their code word.

"You know uh…have some strawberries?"

Futaba turned bright red.

"Oh yeah, I had been thinking about that-"

"Wait really?" Akira asked.

"Well not like obsessively or anything I'm not like desperate for strawberries!"

"Yeah I mean, we haven't been together very long, it's only been like a year-"

Futaba quickly buried her face in her hands.

"Right right, I don't want you to think that I don't, but like I don't wanna if you don't-"

"I mean do you even like strawberries?" Akira asked with a shrug.

"I don't know I've never had, uh, strawberries. You'd be the first person I've had strawberries with."

"Oh good, uh, not that I'd mind if you had strawberries before!"

"Me neither! I mean you must have had strawberries before! Look at you, you look like a fine ass strawberry connoisseur."

Akira started laughing uncontrollably and Futaba, trying to be angry, protested in response.

"What?!" She snapped, trying not to laugh.

"Fine ass strawberry connoisseur?" He echoed before laughing some more.

"Well, you know what I mean!" She grumbled.

Akira nodded, wiping tears from his eyes.

"You greatly overestimate my abilities Taba, you'd be my first too." He told her.

"Oh ok…I'm glad." She muttered.

"Me too, there's no one else I'd rather have strawberries with."

"Me neither."

"So…how do you feel about Singapore and please be honest," Akira told her.

"Honestly? I don't know. I know I want to. I want this and I want it with you but whenever I think about asking you, I just get stuck in my own head. I think it's something I need to sort out with myself beforehand."

"I understand." He told her.

"So, let's take this one step at a time. We'll talk to Queen after this round about Singapore so we can coordinate everyone. In the meantime, I'll try to sort myself out so if we go, I'll be ready."

"You know it's not a race Taba." He chided.

"I know I know but I need to do this, for me. I'm sick of feeling awful in my own skin. That needs to change. It's been on my promise list forever now. It's high time I cross it off." She declared.

"I'm here if you need me." He assured her.

"I know." She said with a smile.

"Now come on, let's go find us some fugitives."

…

During the last round, Ryuji and Olivia managed to make it to the safe zone while Shiho and Ann managed to funnel Haru and Mona into a trap set by Akira and Futaba while Makoto managed to track down and catch Yusuke.

With their game concluded, everyone set off for home except for Akira, Futaba, and Mona who were invited to spend the night at Haru's to discuss the Singapore dilemma. After a quick train ride from the park to Haru's apartment, they all quickly got settled in on the couch after Haru had sent one of her chaffers to collect her friend's things from their house.

Mona, who was exhausted from running around all evening, quickly fell asleep in Haru's lap. Ever since, she refused to move even an inch, not wanting to disturb her friend's rest. Makoto was sitting next to her, sitting upright and alert as she trudged through the opening act of Alien: Isolation. One of Haru's favorite games. Next to her, in the middle of the couch was Akira who was smushed up against Makoto with his arm around Futaba who was laying up against him, her legs stretched out and taking up the remaining room on the couch.

"So assuming Futaba is able to hack into two separate computer systems and secure everything we need for this trip-"

"Assuming?!" The red-headed girl snapped.

"Well, you don't think a bunch of teenagers getting the same incredible deal on airline and hotel tickets to another country is just a little suspicious?"

"All I have to do is make it look like we paid a lot. Plus, I won't do it all at once." Futaba told her.

"I could just pay for the trip you know." Haru offered.

"No way! You can't just use your family fortune to bail us out of every problem we run into…I'd get bored." Her friend grumbled, adjusting her glasses.

"If we're discovered, I can use Okumura Foods as cover."

"How so?" Makoto asked.

"I was able to use cooperate back channels to secure a special deal to fly myself, and some trusted acquittances, to Singapore to scout more locations for our restaurants."

"Would anyone buy that?" Akira wondered.

"Stranger things have happened in the business world. Honestly, our plan is pretty tame." Haru confessed. "Worst case scenario I have to foot the bill for the trip."

"I could help too if needed, I still have a shit ton of money from Shido's palace," Akira added.

"Well, at least we have a-SHIT." Makoto yelped as a Xenomorph jumped down from a ceiling vent.

"You're gonna want to hide love," Haru said with a chuckle.

"I can see that!" Makoto hissed.

"You in the hospital wing?" Futaba asked, not even looking away from her computer.

"Yeah." Makoto whimpered.

"Ooooh, that's a fun level." She snickered.

"Yeah…fun!" Her friend replied with a nervous laugh.

"What is everyone saying Futaba?" Akira asked, glancing at her laptop.

"I just started the separate group chat, check it out."

…

 _Operation Merlion_

 _Futaba: Hello everyone! Sorry to bother you so late but there's something big coming up we need to talk about._

 _Haru: I'll be responding for Makoto, but she is here!_

 _Ann: Hey I noticed Yusuke isn't on here. Should we add him?_

 _Akira: No, this is actually about him. I'll explain right now._

 _Ann: Ok…_

 _Ryuji: Is Yusuke ok?_

 _Akira: Yeah, he's doing really good. He's gotten asked to put some of his work on display at an art museum in Singapore. He's representing up and coming artists in Japan._

 _Ann: Wow! That's awesome!_

 _Ryuji: It's about time he got recognized! He works his butt off for the art world._

 _Futaba: Agreed!_

 _Haru: Makoto and I are very proud of him and we're so excited!_

 _Akira: Here's the problem. Yusuke was telling me that he could have brought any one of us along, but he didn't want to choose just one of us. So, he decided he would go alone._

 _Ann: Aww Yusuke_

 _Ryuji: Someone should be there to celebrate with him. This is a huge deal!_

 _Futaba: Exactly! His family should be there! Us!_

 _Akira: That's why we want to surprise him by meeting him there in Singapore to support him because if we tell him, he'll cancel the trip before he lets us 'inconvenience' ourselves by coming to support him._

 _Ann: I'm in! There's no way this achievement will go uncelebrated. Not on my watch!_

 _Ryuji: Count me in too! I'm with Futaba. We're his family. We need to be there._

 _Haru: Makoto and I are onboard. We're already helping Futaba and Akira plan this trip as we speak._

 _Ryuji: When's the trip?_

 _Futaba: A month! Everyone start saving up your spending money!_

 _Ann: Oh hun, I've been saving spending money for a Singapore trip since I hit puberty. My mom loves Singapore, she's been telling me stories about the malls there for as long as I can remember._

 _Ryuji: Don't forget we're going there for Yusuke!_

 _Ann: I know that!_

 _Akira: Whelp, sounds like we're all in agreement, Futaba will reach out to everyone individually once we have places to stay and plane tickets. So, keep an eye on this chat and remember, no one tell Yusuke!_

 _Ryuji: You got it!_

 _Ann: No problem!_

 _Haru: Our lips are sealed_

 _Futaba: Good night everyone!_

…

A few hours later, the situation on the couch hadn't changed much. Except Haru was asleep on her side, Mona pulled close to her and both of their heads lay in Makoto's lap. Futaba had fallen asleep after several successful hacking attempts, pleased with the progress she had made.

Makoto ran her hand through her girlfriend's hair, pure serenity on her face. Akira sleepily removed his girlfriend's glasses and set them on the table as she muttered something in her sleep and turned over on her belly and wrapped her arms around her boyfriend's torso.

"Everyone's growing up," Makoto said with a chuckle. "Yusuke got his big break. You and Futaba are coming up on your anniversary. Mona's a human now. Even Ryuji is dating someone."

Akira chuckled.

"Crazy huh?"

"Yeah, super crazy."

"Are you ready to start University?" Akira asked.

"No, not at all. Haru's been trying to psyche me up but I'm still nervous."

Makoto sighed.

"There's so much riding on this…I can't fail now."

"Is that Makoto talking, or Sae?"

Makoto chuckled.

"I don't even know anymore. Part of me wonders how much of me is left after being raised by Sae. I know she meant well, but all that pressure, all the time. It's like if I didn't come home and pass out from exhaustion, I knew she'd be disappointed. Sometimes I just wanna be me." Makoto smiled warmly at her girlfriend a planted a kiss on her head.

"Haru helps a lot with that. I can't believe we found each other."

"A future police commissioner and a beauty thief. What a combo." Akira mused.

Makoto chuckled softly.

"Hey I know you and Futaba will be celebrating your anniversary in Singapore. If you need me and Haru to look after Mona for the night so you two can have some alone time, we're more than willing."

"That'd really help out a lot. We were just talking about how we haven't had any time to ourselves in forever. It sucks."

"I know the feeling. I haven't been getting as much one on one time with Haru because sis has been putting me through the wringer. She went out and got me my textbooks so we can get a jump on reading them. She thinks if I read them cover to cover by the time school starts I'll retain the info better on the second time through."

Akira scoffed and shook his head.

"Sheesh."

"Then when Haru comes over to help we can't even be ourselves because-"

"You haven't told her yet?" Akira asked, looking at his friend with concern.

"No…I have no idea how'd she would react."

"Well at the end of the day, you're still her sister. Sae may be harsh, but she still loves you."

"Yeah but what about-"

"Everyone else? I'm sure they'll like you. You're smart, hardworking, and you get stuff done."

"That's not what'll they'll focus on."

"Well, what else is there to focus on?"

Makoto raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, I don't know, maybe the fact that I'm a lesbian police commissioner? In this day and age?"

"Well yeah, it's only the 21st fucking century."

"I know I know but you understand what I'm saying right? Society isn't ready for me…the real me."

"Fuck society!" Akira snapped, making Mona jump in his sleep.

"You don't need their permission to exist. We're Phantom Thieves. We don't ask for permission. Whatever the world refuses to give you, you take it and I've seen you take what society stole from you Makoto. That's who Queen is. That's who _you_ are. Don't ever be ashamed of that."

Makoto leaned over and gave her friend a hug which he was quick to return.

"Thank you, Joker."

"You're welcome."

She tightened her hug just a bit.

"You know, I always wanted an older brother."

"You're older than me." Akira pointed out.

"I know, but you sure don't act like the younger one." She replied, earning a chuckle from her friend as they parted.

"Look Makoto, I don't mean to be dismissive. Coming out is scary. In my hometown, I've seen it go bad. Real bad but you owe it to yourself. You said it best, we're all growing up and part of growing up is living for yourself. Not Sae, not your professors or your bosses. Not even us. Take care of you first." Akira said as he looked at Futaba, pulling her closer to him.

"After that, everything else will fall into place."

Makoto smiled and shook her head.

"See this is what I'm talking about! You sound like the older one here!"

Akira laughed as he put his head down on a pillow.

"Whatever you say, sis." He told her as she put repositioned herself to lay down as well.

"Night big bro." She said with a yawn, trying to sound younger than she actually was.

Silence.

"That sounded less weird in my head." She admitted.

"I wasn't going to say anything," Akira replied before they both burst into a giggling fit before wishing each other goodnight.

…

A.N-Sorry I've been gone so long, everyone! These past few months have been crazy. I had a bit of a block for Persona but I'm happy to report that it's taken care of. The Singapore Arc that's coming up will get us back on track with (hopefully) weekly updates. Thanks for sticking around and reading this story, I hope your excited as I am to get going again!

Also who here is hyped for the big Persona announcement this month. I know I am. Here's hoping we get more time with our chosen love interest in the endgame! I'm hoping for a more in-depth social link with Morgana as well.

Anyway, thanks for reading everyone!


	12. A Special Day

A Special Day

Futaba felt a familiar weight press down on her, stirring her from her sleep.

"Good morning birthday girl." Her boyfriend sang.

"Morning." She replied opening her eyes to see Akira bombarding her face with kisses.

"That tickles!" She protested, giggling as she rolled onto her stomach.

"How old are you again?" He asked her, wrapping his arms around her waist to prevent her from wiggling free.

"A year younger than you remember?" She said in between fits of giggling.

"Well I need a number for your kisses otherwise I'm just gonna keep going until I feel like I've given you enough…and if that happens, we could be here for a while."

"You say that like it's a bad thing," Futaba said, rolling back over onto her back.

"You look tired, were you up all night again?"

"Yeah, I had to finalize everyone's reservations remember?" She explained.

"That's right. You should have called me, I would if stayed up with you." He chided.

"You were exhausted after work, you needed to sleep," Futaba said shaking her head and running her hand through her lover's hair.

"I would have been fine." He told her, putting his head down on her chest and listening to her heartbeat for several minutes while she played with his hair.

"So, everyone's all set?"

"Yeah, all set. Monitored the web for any signs that someone was coming after us for a few hours after I finished up. I didn't see anything, and I've got my phone set up to send me alerts if that changes. We're safe."

"I never doubted you," Akira told her.

"I hope not." She replied quietly.

"So Ryuji is really bringing Olivia?"

Futaba nodded enthusiastically.

"He texted me about it last week, it was so cute. I think after this trip we might need to add her to the group chat. I'm happy for him. Ryuji's a good guy. He deserves this, especially after all he's been through." She explained.

"I'm worried though. She's an American. Her dad is in the military-"

"Wait which one?" Akira asked.

"The tall blonde one. Kinda skinny."

"Wait really? I woulda thought it was the super ripped guy!"

"That's what we all thought, and we're not the only ones either. All her friends on facebook thought so too."

"How do you know that?"

"I…hacked into her account and did some snooping awhile back."

"Futaba" Akira chided.

"Hey, I was only looking after Skull. He's like my older brother. Of course, I'm gonna Facebook stalk his girlfriend." She grumbled.

"Fair enough," Akira said with a chuckle.

"Anyways, I'm worried because eventually, she's going to leave." Futaba continued.

"We don't know when that'll be though, and neither do they."

"We could find out." Futaba sang.

"Then it'll be hanging over our heads 24/7. Let's cross that bridge with Ryuji when we get there." Her boyfriend told her.

"Guess you're right…we should probably get up." She muttered as they both sat up. "Kana will be here in a few hours. I need to shower and have breakfast." She chuckled and ruffled her boyfriend's hair.

"You need to shower too. I can tell you were helping Sojiro before you came over. Your hair's all greasy."

"Guilty as charged," Akira said, rubbing the back of his neck.

"You know, maybe tonight we can finally get some alone time."

"Everyone is coming over tonight for Mario Party and cake remember?" He reminded her. Futaba huffed in frustration before giving her boyfriend a devilish look.

"Well…we do have the house to ourselves…what if we shower…together and I can wash your hair and we see how things go from there." She offered suavley, trying to hide the shakiness of her voice.

Akira laughed nervously.

"Well about that-"

The door suddenly flew open revealing a proud Morgana fresh from battle with the kitchen. Bits of flour and batter clung to his comically oversized 'Please Kiss The Cook' apron and chef hat as he struggled to keep the stack of pancakes on their plate.

"Whose ready to go to Flavor Town USA?" He asked, sauntering over to Futaba with the pancakes, gingerly setting them on her nightstand. All the while, Akira was trying not to laugh at his girlfriend. He could tell she wanted to be mad, but she could never stay mad at any one of the Thieves for long.

"Happy Birthday Futaba!" He sang as she pulled him into a tight hug.

"Thank you, Mona." She murmured before giving him a quick kiss on the cheek and releasing him from his grasp.

"I still need to get some orange juice from the kitchen, I'll be right back!" He told her before setting off for the kitchen, almost tripping on his apron as he rounded the corner.

"I've been helping him all morning," Akira explained.

"Did you both plan this?" Futaba asked.

"It was his idea actually. He was really worried about you after you had that really bad day a few weeks ago." Her boyfriend replied. "He wanted to make sure you felt loved today."

Futaba put a hand on her mouth as tears started to well in her eyes.

"Mona…" she whispered as he appeared again, a carton of orange juice in his hands, grumbling under his breath about his apron.

"Futaba are you ok?" He asked as he sat down next to her on the bed.

In response, she threw her arms around him and hugged him.

"I'm fine Mona, but I'm probably gonna hug you a lot today."

"That's fine!" He said, hugging her back.

After some a few minutes of silence, Futaba released Mona and they set about serving breakfast when Futaba looked over her friend, who was taking his apron off.

"Hey Mona, can you help me and Akira with something later?"

His response was instantaneous.

"Sure, what do you need me to do?"

…

Kana and her boyfriend Izumo approached the front door of the Sakura residence with caution, stopping at the note that was taped to the front door.

 _Kana,_

 _Gone to the store to get snacks, we left the door unlocked for you. Come in and make yourself at home. Be back soon!_

 _-Taba_

"Like I'd ever fall for that." Kana scoffed, turning to her boyfriend.

"Go grab our gear from the car."

"You got it."

When he returned, he was holding two bright yellow and orange nerf rifles. One in each hand, each equipped with an obscene number of accessories like a laser dot, a scope, and an extended magazine. He handed one of the rifles to her before she turned her red GET SMOKED snapback hat backward and slowly opened the door. Much to her surprise, there was no immediate hail of nerf bullets flying towards her. Her boyfriend shut the door behind them before the crept down the hallway. Once they were in the living room, Kana found a laser dot aimed square at her chest.

"WHO DARES TRESPASS UPON FORTRESS OCELOT ALPHA?!" Futaba asked from her makeshift fort and the frizzy-haired boy next to her worked the action on his own nerf rifle.

"Howdy." He said with a grin.

"You must be Akira," Kana said, gesturing to him with her rifle.

"Sure am. Nice to finally meet you." He said coolly.

"I'm Izumo, I'm with her." The boy next to Kana said.

"Hey Iz!" Futaba sang, shifting her laser sight over to him.

"Iz ripped our guns and put em back together himself. They'll fire two times more forcefully than normal." Kana said with a grin.

"Futaba put computer parts into our guns and overclocked their electric motors…or something. Point is we'll fire twice as fast as you!" Akira replied before looking to Izumo.

"You ready to go down for your girl, this is your last chance to bail."

"Nah man, I'm staying right here. I'm more than willing to take a bullet for her. Can you say the same?" He replied.

"Of course." Akira declared, looking over at Futaba and smiling.

"Shit that was cute," Kana grumbled lowering her gun.

"Focus." Her boyfriend snapped.

"Right!" She replied, leveling her weapon at Akira.

"Even if you have back up, you'll never beat me! You've been at this for 10 years!"

That's when the third member of Futaba's posse emerged from behind the fort, cowboy hat on his head and nerf rifle in his hand, eyes narrowed in a fashion that would have made Clint Eastwood proud.

"You've yee-d your last haw." Sojiro told Kana, forcefully working the action on his rifle.

Futaba started giggling.

"You said it! I can't believe you said it!"

"You're lucky it's your birthday…" Sojiro as Kana pulled out her sidearm.

"Sojiro, what are you doing here, you're too old for this!" She grumbled.

"Hey!" He snapped, leveling his rifle at her torso.

"With age comes wisdom, like the wisdom to help Futaba win this fight!"

"One extra gun won't save you! Don't think I'm gonna take it easy on you because it's your birthday!"

"You'll have to go through the three of us to get to Futaba!" Akira told her, his laser sight drifting back to Kana.

"Three of us?" Izumo pondered.

"Morgana!" Sojiro called out.

At the far end of the hall, by the entryway to Sojiro's room, the closet flung open to reveal Morgana. A yellow bandana tied around the bottom half face, manning a belt fed machine gun. As the electric motor started to spin, Akira, Futaba and Sojiro shot at their foes as they scrambled for cover.

"No fair!" Kana shouted as nerf darts tore through the air.

"In the fourth grade you dressed up as my crush and attacked me on Valentine's Day! This is payback!" Futaba declared as she dodged a volley of darts.

"Old! I'll show you old!" Sojiro grumbled, keeping Kana pinned down as the hailstorm from down the hall stopped and Mona shouted to them, saying he was reloading.

"Man, she really got to you didn't she." Akira teased.

"Shut up and shoot." He snapped in reply as a bright orange cylinder was chucked into the center of room.

"Grenade! Take cover!" Futaba yelped as the device split open and sent dozens of foam balls shooting out in every direction. Sojiro wasn't fast enough to avoid the blast and caught a face full of them. As he dramatically slumped to the floor, he huffed and displaced a ball that was lodged in his left nostril.

"Sojiro!" Futaba exclaimed as Akira broke from cover to shoot Izumo as he tried to advance, only to be shot by Kana who then shot Mona as he struggled to reload his oversized gun.

"You're finished Taba. Even with three other people, you couldn't beat me." Kana snickered as Futaba made eye contact with the defeated Akira. He gave her a nod and a smile that filled her with confidence. She quickly reached for the foam dagger she had strapped to her thigh.

"This was fun though! I'm excited to see what you'll do next year. Maybe just maybe, it'll be enough." She teased.

"You know Kana, there's one thing you didn't count on."

"What's that?" She replied, her voice getting closer.

"Since you last saw me, I got a hot boyfriend and whenever he's around because he makes me feel like a million bucks because-"

Futaba sprang forwards, chucking her knife at Kana before rolling across her field of vision, scooping up her boyfriend's sidearm and springing to her feet. As Kana raised her rifle, Futaba fired straight at her head, the dart gently striking her between the eyes before fluttering to the ground.

"He reminds me that I'm a badass." Futaba finished, blowing nonexistent smoke away from the barrel of her gun.

Kana was rigid, staring blankly at her friend before bursting out laughing and pulling her friend into a hug.

"Damn right you are!" She exclaimed as everyone stood up and smiled at the reunion.

"I missed you," Futaba muttered.

"Missed you too," Kana replied.

"I can't believe you called me old!" Sojiro said, putting a hand to his chest and feinting injury. Kana bounded over to him and gave him a hug, assuring him she didn't mean it before she looked over to Akira.

"I like you frizzy." She said with a smirk before punching him in the shoulder.

"But as Futaba's best friend I am obligated to say that if you fuck this up, the next time we fight, it will be with real guns."

He nodded in understanding as Mona came walking over from the hall to introduce himself while Akira gave his girlfriend a proud smile and a thumbs up. She beamed at him before Sojiro directed everyone to start picking up the hundreds of darts strewn across the floor.

…

Sojiro and Akira left to prepare lunch while Mona took Izumo to Leblanc's Attic and showed off the computer build he and Futaba were working on. Leaving her and Kana to catch up as Futaba packed for the Singapore trip, which was in just a few days.

"You excited?" Kana asked, setting Futaba's bright green hard-shell suitcase down on the floor after retrieving it from the top of her closest.

"Yeah! It'll be nice to travel somewhere new with everyone. It'll be nice to get some use out of this suitcase too…mom got it for me before…" Futaba's voice trailed off as she took a seat on the floor

"Where were you gonna go?" Kana asked.

"I don't remember…mom was really excited though. I wish she was here right now."

Kana scooted closer to Futaba after closing the door to her room.

"Is everything ok?" She asked, putting an arm around her friend. "Is it Akira? I mean it Taba I will shoot him if you need me too."

The redheaded girl giggled and shook her head.

"No no he's so good to me. You have no idea how sweet he is."

"Must only be sweet when he wants to be. Izumo told me he got shot in the dick."

"That was probably an accident," Futaba said, trying not to laugh.

Kana shook her head and snickered before adopting a serious tone again.

"What's bugging you?"

Futaba turned bright red and started playing with a zipper on her suitcase.

"Well, I'm nervous for the trip for a lot of reasons. New places, big crowds-and don't worry, I had my doctor top off my anxiety meds the other day-"

"Good good," Kana said with a smile.

"But there's one thing I haven't been able to prepare for."

"Oh, I think I know where this is going…" Kana said, removing her arm from Futaba's shoulder and removing her hat, scratching her head.

"Yeah…he and I were talking about maybe having…strawberries in Singapore."

"Strawberries, are we twelve?" Kana said with a snicker.

"Well, I'm sorry! It just makes me more comfortable to call it that instead of the other thing." Futaba grumbled.

"Ok, ok, I'm sorry. I didn't realize it made you uncomfortable." Her friend replied.

Futaba huffed and put her head in her hands as Kana put a hand on her knee.

"Why are you so nervous? Help me understand."

Futaba looked up, still covering her mouth with her hands and muttered something. Kana put her arms around her, rubbing her back in an attempt to soothe her.

"What's going on up there…please talk to me."

"I'm scared Kana…I'm scared I'm gonna let him down. I'm scared of myself of being that vulnerable with someone. Of letting them see all the stuff I'm ashamed of. I'm scared and I hate being scared. I hate it because it makes me feel weak and I'm so tired of feeling weak." She explained, her voice just a hair below yelling.

Kana shook her head and hugged her friend tightly.

"Is that everything."

Futaba sighed and seemed to deflate into her friend.

"Yeah, I think so."

"Ok, we'll bust through these one at a time. What makes you think you'll let him down?"

"I don't know what to do." She grumbled.

"Futaba no one knows what to do their first time. It's not something you can plan out, it just kinda happens. It's messy, it's awkward but you just gotta roll with it. He's probably just as stressed about not messing this up as you are. I know that's how I was. Izumo told me he tried to read a how-to guide!"

"Seriously?" Futaba asked.

"Yeah! That's how much he wanted to get it right but it's not like you can pull the book out when you're getting frisky in the back of a Prius!" Kana said with a laugh which made Futaba giggle.

"Just think of this as like making out with extra steps. You guys have made out before, right?"

"Oh yeah," Futaba said confidentially. "I know exactly what to do when we're making out. I can push all his buttons with my eyes closed."

"Perfect! That's where you gonna want to start. From there, you'll need to try some stuff out. It's like any other aspect of your relationship. Communication is key. If he says he likes what you're doing, keep at it. If he's not into then you'll need to try something else."

Futaba nodded her head firmly.

"Ok, I can do that."

"As far as being vulnerable, I want to show you something," Kana said, releasing Futaba from her grasp and pulling up her pant legs to reveal a collection of scars on the inside of her calve.

"You remember when I told you about this right?" She asked and Futaba nodded in response.

"The thought of Izumo seeing these scared the shit out of me. I was worried they would freak him out and he'd run for the hills because he wouldn't want to put up with me. So that night…stuff happened, and he did end up seeing them and you know what? He told me that he was proud of me for still being here, with him." Kana said with a sniffle.

"So, whatever you hate about yourself, the people we love tend to find a way to turn it into something beautiful."

Memories of the numerous times Akira had made her feel beautiful and loved when she felt anything but filled her head and warmed her heart and the tenseness bled away from her shoulders.

"You feelin better?" Kana asked with a smile as she pulled her pant leg down.

"A lot better, still nervous though." Her friend said with a sigh

"Yeah, it's impossible not to be," Kana confessed.

"There's one last thing we need to talk about though."

"What's that?"

"Strawberries. You can't keep calling it that. Strawberries is like a cop out because you aren't really talking about strawberries. You're talking about sex. You have to be honest with yourself. Once you flip that switch in your brain, you'll be able, to be honest with yourself about what you want from this trip."

Futaba furrowed her eyebrows.

"Well, what if I change my mind?"

"That's fine too! You're always allowed to change your mind. What I'm saying is you can't be weighing the pros and cons of this with a code word. You have to call it what it is and think about it in those terms and everything those terms entail and if that still bothers you, like really truly bothers you, then you might not be ready for this."

Futaba nodded in understanding.

"Honesty…ok, I want…I want." Futaba took a deep breath.

"Iwanthimtokickthedoordownonedayandhe'dbeinthissmokin'hotarcheologistuniform withsomeofthebuttonsundoneatthetopandthesleevesrolledupsoIcanseehisarmsandI'dbeonthebedwiththisEgyptianqueencostumeandhe'dsaysomethingreallysuavelikehealwaysdoesbeforewemakeoutandhopefullythat'swhenthe _handcuffs_ comeout-"

"Whoa ok! Too much honesty!" Kana yelped as her friend started to turn blue.

Futaba chuckled and went back to fiddling with the zipper on her suitcase.

"Sorry…ok, I want to have sex with my boyfriend." She said quietly after sitting in silence for a few minutes. "because I can't imagine sharing myself with anyone else in the world."

Kana smiled with pride before raising an eyebrow.

"Handcuffs?"

"Fuzzy handcuffs," Futaba said with a grim nod

"It's always the quiet ones." Kana snickered.

"Oh no, I plan on being loud. That's why I got us a room on the top floor."

Kana started laughing in disbelief while Futaba set about packing the bright green suitcase, shaking her head as her friend laughed until there were tears in her eyes.

…

"Do we really need to have this talk when Futaba is in the other room?" Akira whispered.

"Yes, I don't know if I'll get a chance to speak to you privately before you leave. I know you two have been together a while and when you're alone you're going to do what young people do when they're in love-" Sojiro began.

"Oh, Christmas you sound like my Dad." Akira groaned.

"I just want to remind you to be safe and be smart and be a gentleman."

"When am I not?" Akira protested.

"Well considering you decided to fight a government conspiracy without telling me I think we can safely say you've never been safe or smart-"

"Hey!"

"All I'm saying is make sure you aren't forcing her to do anything-"

"I'm not!"

"And you're honest about your…history."

"No history to speak of actually."

"Save the weird stuff for…another time perhaps."

"Alright, how can you kink shame me when you don't even know-"

"I don't want to know, but I'm just saying," Sojiro added.

"Take her out for a nice dinner."

"Yeah of course, who do you think I am?"

"And a nice breakfast."

Akira scoffed and stomped his foot.

"Seriously?! Why do I have to take her to breakfast?" He pouted.

"Control your urge to be sarcastic, I know it's hard."

"Pfft, not hard at all, no idea why you'd say that."

"Then there's-"

"Sojiro!"

"Hmmm?"

"Let me explain! I love your daughter and I'd never do anything to hurt her. No matter what. You need to trust me, you need to trust her. We don't need to have a standoff every time our relationship changes!" Akira told him.

"Oh, we'll talk before all the important stuff," Sojiro assured him.

"What do you want me to do? Get your permission to purpose?"

"No, but I do want you to tell me before you do because I want to make sure I'm there to take some pictures."

Akira blinked once, twice.

"Uh…wait what?"

"That was a test kiddo. You passed." Sojiro said with a grin before walking away.

"Come on, we need to get the cake ready."

Akira was motionless.

"What? Do you think you're the only person who likes to mess with people? Come on." Sojiro teased, his laughter jarring Akira from his shock. The pair walked into the kitchen where they found everyone, sans Kana and Futaba, waiting for them.

"Can we come out now?" Kana asked.

"Not yet!" Sojiro called as he struggled to light the candles. "Hey, can someone turn the fan off real quick?"

"On it!" Ryuji said as he jogged to the opposite side of the room as everyone put their party hats.

"Now?" Kana asked.

Sojiro gave a thumbs up as he got the last candle lit, prompting Mona to turn towards Futaba's room.

"Ok, we're ready!" He shouted.

The door flew open and Ryuji ran back to his spot by Olivia as a blindfolded Futaba, led by Kana, was led into the room. As she entered the kitchen, Kana removed her blindfold and her family started singing, as the light from the candles illuminated their smiling faces and the wide-eyed chibi Cthulhu shaped cake they had made for her.

Futaba smiled them and ran around the kitchen as the candles melted, dripping wax onto the sea green frosting, giving her friends a hug before running to Akira a planting a big kiss on his cheek and finally blowing the candles. A cheer went up in the kitchen as everyone took a seat and Sojiro started cutting the cake. Akira and Futaba looked to one another, their hands clasped together under the table.

"What'd you wish for?" He asked her.

"I can't tell you, then it's bad luck!" She chided.

"Can you give me a hint?" He said, tilting his head.

"You can guess what it was about, and I'll tell you if you were right."

"Ok…was it about video games?"

"Nope."

"Computers?"

"Guess again."

"Neo-Featherman?"

"Wrong again."

"Was it about me?"

Futaba made a so-so gesture with her hand.

"Kinda."

Akira furrowed his eyebrow in thought.

"It was about us." She clarified finally before pointing to him in an accusatory manner. "But that's all your getting!"

Akira put his hands up defensively before quickly getting up.

"We forgot something!" He yelped, digging around in a paper bag on the counter.

"We did?" Ryuji gasped, a bit of cake falling out of his mouth.

"Only the most important thing!" He said, pulling out a tin tray filled with fried chicken.

Futaba's eyes widened as she sprung to her feet.

"Come here you sexy bastard." She said, making Akira blush and earning some surprised looks from her friends.

"Well I wasn't expecting that kind of reaction but-" He began before Futaba swiped the chicken from his hands.

"Oh…she was talking to the chicken." He muttered as everyone burst in laughter while Kana shook her head.

"Classic Futaba."

…

A.N-Another chapter down. Next stop, Singapore! We'll be there for about three chapters. I've already finished up the first scene for the next chapter so you guys should have it pretty quick, at least I hope. Also, I know Futaba's birthday is in February, but I didn't know that until a few days ago. By then this chapter was almost done and I didn't want to go back write another chapter to fill the gap between now and the start of the Singapore arc. So just pretend this is an alternate reality where Futaba was born a bit later in the year and Joker's name is Akira instead of Ren. I'm really looking forward to getting through the Singapore arc and seeing what you all think. I'm hoping they'll be the best chapters yet!

See you then!


	13. Strawberries

Strawberries 

"Did you guys figure out what you're going to do tonight while we're gone?" Akira asked, holding hands with Futaba as he carried Mona on his shoulders as they walked through the halls of the hotel.

"Haru got us tickets to Universal Studios, we're gonna go there in a few hours for lunch and then we'll hang out there until it closes," Morgana replied.

"What are you gonna do when you get back?" Akira asked.

"Well, Makoto suggested we run to the nearby convenience store, grab a bunch of snacks and have a movie night," Mona said as Akira came to a stop and waited for him to clamber down.

"Sounds like fun!" Futaba said with a smile as Akira knocked on the door of Room 1201.

"Coming!" Makoto said just before the door opened.

"Hey, Makoto!" Mona sang.

"Hey, you! Ready for our big day?"

"Sure am! Where's Haru?" He replied, trying to look past Makoto

"I just finished getting dressed! Come in Mona, I want a hug!" Haru called from the other room.

Makoto stepped aside as Mona bolted past her.

"Bye Mona!"

"Bye Joker, Bye Futaba! Have fun!" He said before disappearing around the corner.

"Thanks so much for this Makoto," Akira said

"Of course! I was telling Akira on the flight over that we don't get to see Mona as often as we'd like to, so we're excited for today." She said with a smile before dropping her voice down to a whisper.

"Don't worry about tomorrow morning either. Take your time, relax and enjoy each other's company. We can take him to breakfast if we need to."

Akira and Futaba blushed and smiled, muttering thank you's.

"Have fun you two!" Haru said, peaking her head around the corner.

The pair smiled and waved to their friends before setting off for the elevator, the two admiring the other as they waited. Akira was wearing black shorts and a white button-up shirt while Futaba wore the flowy white dress Kana had gotten her for her birthday. When Akira had first seen it, the gold tron lines running up the sleeves and sides reminded him of the dress Futaba's shadow had worn a year ago.

As they stepped into the elevator Futaba grabbed Akira by the collar and pulled him towards her.

"Come here, boy." She said before giving him a kiss. When they parted, Akira was out of breath.

"I have you all to myself today," Futaba said with a blush.

"Excited?" Akira teased.

"You have no idea." She replied before pulling out her phone.

"So, what's this place you wanted to go to again?"

"Gardens by the Bay." He said, smiling faintly at her as she grumbled at her phone.

"Ok! Just told a Grab driver to come…grab us," Futaba said before making finger guns at her boyfriend who didn't look amused.

"Boooo." He said flatly.

"Shush you, my puns are great." She grumbled, elbowing him in the side.

"Whatever you say, dear." He snickered, earning him another swift elbow as the elevator came to a rest on the ground floor, where the pair disembarked and walked towards the exit of the hotel. 

...

In the air-conditioned pathways of the Cloud Forrest, Futaba was in awe of her surroundings. The Cloud Forrest was unlike any other greenhouse she had ever seen. Looking less like a plain old greenhouse and more like a spaceship.

The concrete path snaked through the manmade forest and around a hollow mountain with steel walkways jutting out from its sides and looping around the mountain's sheer cliffs, taking her and Akira past intricately made wooden sculptures that Yusuke likely would have spent hours fawning over. In the sea of green, the pair would spot bright reds and pinks of tropical flowers that Haru would of no doubt have been able to identify.

"This place is beautiful," Futaba said, adjusting her glasses while she fished her phone out of her handbag.

"Yeah, I wouldn't mind taking a morning walk through here every morning."

"That'd be really nice, hey come here. We gotta take pictures for Sojiro." Futaba said, pulling her boyfriend into her embrace as she extended her arm, trying to get both of them into the frame.

"Damint…you're so tall!" She grumbled as she tried to jockey the camera into position.

"It's a gift and a curse, need me to hold it?" He asked her.

"Well, then I probably won't be able to fit in the frame." She told him before putting her arm down and looking over to a passing tourist, a guy who looked a few years older than them with a camera bag slung over his shoulder and a black t-shirt that read: American Natural History Museum. Below the text was the skull of T-Rex, jaws agape.

"Lemme ask this guy if he can take our picture." She said, trotting over to him.

Akira smiled, resting his chin on his hand in a contemplative manner as his girlfriend stumbled her way into a conversation in rough English. The guy she was talking to smiled and nodded. Futaba thanked him as she handed her phone over and led him over to Akira, who waved as to him as he approached.

As he got in position to take the picture, Akira smiled at his girlfriend.

"Do you realize what you just did?" He asked her.

"Talk to a complete stranger all by myself?" She replied with a smirk on her face.

Akira nodded. "You'll have to cross that off your promise list."

Futaba put on a wide smile and Akira smiled proudly back at her.

"Are you really that surprised? When I have my key item with me, I'm my best self."

"Taba you don't need me to be your best self." He reminded her.

"I know I know, but I'm happy that you're sticking around." She replied with a smile as their recruited photographer came over to show them the photo.

"I know I didn't ask you to smile, but I think it came out pretty good anyway." He told them as they all looked at Futaba's phone which showed the two looking lovingly at each other, with the serene tranquility of the conservatory and the futuristic skyline of Singapore acting as a backdrop. Just like Akira and Futaba, each element was amazing on its own but together, they were perfect.

...

After a day of exploring the city, Futaba and Akira caught a cab and struck out into the jungle in search of their final destination for the day: a Night Safari at the Singapore Zoo. The pair had resolved to arrive an hour and a half before opening so they could grab dinner before heading into the zoo.

The open-air dining area was in the middle of a plaza lined with food stands with dishes from around the world. After much deliberation, they opted to grab some Chinese food and sat down at a nearby table waiting for their order to be completed.

"So where do you want to go first?" Akira asked, pulling up a map of the zoo on his phone.

"Part of me thinks we should take the tram tour first before everything gets too crowded," Futaba suggested.

"I feel like that's what everyone else is thinking though. Maybe we go to the show in the amphitheater first and then hop on the tram. That way everyone is a little more spread out. We'll be able to avoid the crowds easier when we hit the walking trails." Akira suggested.

"That would be good if the first show didn't start forty-five minutes after the zoo opens. The tram ride is 40 mins long. So, if we do that first, we can catch the show right after and then hit the trails."

"How'd you figure that out?" Akira grumbled, squinting at his phone.

"The sign by the entrance, it's showing the schedule for everything happening tonight." Futaba pointed to something behind him. Akira turned to see the giant neon sign that read:

 _Tonight's Schedule_ which was followed by a list of times.

"Oh…" Akira said as Futaba giggled.

"Well, that wasn't on when we got here." He said, crossing his arms.

"Sure it wasn't." She said, shaking her head as her phone chirped.

"It's from Haru!" She exclaimed, squeeing at the message before shoving the phone into her boyfriend's hands. Akira chuckled and shook his head the image, which was Mona with an arm around each of the girls who were smiling from ear to ear. Behind them was the iconic wood and stone gates of Jurassic Park.

"They're getting ready to go on the River Adventure ride, Haru says the line is pretty long but it's going by quick thanks to Mona." She explained as Akira passed her phone back.

"Man look at that little playah. This is your fault you know." Futaba told him.

"He did learn from the best," Akira said giving her a wink.

"I can't believe he's going to be going to school soon," Futaba muttered

"That's crazy to think about, but I'm super excited for him. He's been chomping at the bit to get started."

"The littlest brother of the Phantom Thieves is growing up." Futaba sighed

The pager that the cashier of the food stand gave them started buzzing and flashing as Akira's phone started to ring.

"I can get the food; you can answer that," Futaba told him before getting up as her boyfriend pulled out his phone and checked the caller id: Dad

Akira scowled at the screen of his phone. He hadn't spoken to his father in months. No calls, no texts, passive-aggressive emails asking for a written apology. Nothing. So why in the hell would he call today of all days?

As Futaba returned with their food, Akira huffed and declining the call and shoving his phone into his pocket.

"Who was that?" She asked as she sat down.

"No one." He replied. "Wrong number."

Futaba shrugged and cracked open her can of coke before noticing her boyfriend was eyeing her food.

"What?" She asked.

"I didn't know yours came with fried wonton; I love fried wonton." He muttered.

She smiled at him before snatching up a wonton with her chopsticks and holding it out to her boyfriend. Akira reached out with his own chopsticks only for Futaba to pull her own away.

"Hey!" Akira protested as she playfully scowled at him.

"I'm trying to feed you, let me feed you!" She told him.

"Oh so now we're _those_ people," Akira said, raising an eyebrow.

"What do you mean, are you saying _I'm_ weird?"

"I didn't say weird." He said shaking his head quickly.

"You were totally gonna say weird!" Futaba said with a scoff.

"Was not!" He protested.

"You were, and you better not forget that I'm weird because you're the one who decided to date me! Which makes _you_ the weird one." Futaba told him, jabbing at him with her chopsticks.

Akira laughed and shook his head as his girlfriend offered her chopsticks again, fried wonton still in their grasp. Stifling more laughter as he leaned forward and opened his mouth, allowing Futaba to deliver the fried wanton to his taste buds.

Akira hummed happily as he chewed before Futaba pointed at his bowl of sweet and sour prawns with chopsticks.

"Now give me some of your shrimp weirdo." 

… 

If Futaba had been walking alone on the trails that winded through the jungle, she would have been terrified. Every now and she and Akira would come across bat hanging from a low hanging branch and she'd yelp and jump behind her boyfriend as the creature awkwardly fluttered over their heads.

Akira would just coo at the creature of the night and put an arm around Futaba, telling her it was just little fruit bat and that it wasn't going to bother them.

"How do you do that?" She asked him as they walked through a tiny manmade cave.

"Do what?" He asked her.

"The way you walked past all these bats like it's nothing. Most people hate bats!" She exclaimed.

"I don't mind them. They're kind of cute in my opinion. Plus, I kind of feel bad for them." He explained as something rustled through the jungle brush, which made Futaba jump, but Akira hardly noticed the disturbance, and just squeezed his girlfriend's hand as they walked.

"Really? Why's that?" Futaba asked they came to stop in the cave, she didn't notice Akira pulling her in closer.

"They're just animals. They don't realize what they do is scaring people and they never mean to cause any trouble. They're just trying to be in the world. That and, for some reason, I've always been drawn to outcasts. Whether they have two legs, four, or maybe they have wings instead." He explained.

"Well, that would explain why you found us," Futaba told him with a smirk. "We were just weird enough to pique your interest."

"Something like that yeah." Her boyfriend said with a laugh and a wink.

That's when Futaba noticed the bats hanging from the ceiling. A large adult in the center of a bundle of tiny baby bats. All their eyes locked onto the pair of humans standing below them. Futaba drew even closer to her boyfriend before her heart swelled at the sight of the baby bats inching closer together to tighten their bundle. The adult bat's nose twitched and it's head tilted in curiosity as the pair stood there.

Futaba smiled softly. "I guess they are pretty cute."

The pair started walking forward again, emerging back into the cool but humid air of the jungle as thunder rumbled in the distance. As they rounded the corner, Futaba's eyes widened as she looked upon a trio of Hyenas sitting atop a nearby hill. The darkness that blanketed the jungle brush masked the barrier that kept them in their enclosure and the lights that sat above their habitat was dim enough to resemble a moonbeam and made the Hyena's distinctive silhouette even more pronounced.

As the two approached, the hyenas trotted down from the top of the hill they had been sitting on to investigate their presence. They regarded Akira with a tilt of the head, a gesture that he returned. For some strange reason.

Without saying a word to Futaba, he squatted down with both hands on his knees. The lead hyena squatted down and the other two followed suit. Then Akira burst into a sprint running down along the length of the enclosure's fence with the hyenas following before turning right back around and running to the opposite end of the fence.

He did this several times, stopping twice halfway between the two ends and trying to fake the hyenas out by starting to run in one direction before quickly turning around and running the opposite way.

Futaba fished her phone out of her pocket so she could record the game they were playing so that the memory could be shared with the other Phantom Thieves the following day, trying to suppress her giggles so as not to disturb her boyfriend or his new hyena minions.

Thunder cracked the sky overhead and Futaba quickly opened her umbrella so as to shield herself and her phone from the rain which was only now beginning to fall.

Within two minutes, it was pouring rain and Akira was soaked to the bone, but he continued to play with hyenas until they were tuckered out from running up and down the length of their fence and retreated to their den at the top of the hill. Akira just waved goodbye and stood in the rain for another few minutes, arms outstretched and looking upward to the heavens, his eyes closed in content.

Only when Futaba became worried for his wellbeing did she approach him.

"Hey get under here! You're gonna catch a cold." She chided.

He opened his eyes with a content sigh and his arms fell to his side before he took the umbrella from his girlfriend and took her hand, gently pulling her closer to his side.

"You're soaked." She laughed, shaking her head. "Did you not realize it was raining?"

"No, I did, I just didn't care." He said matter of factly.

"Fair, it looked like you were having a lot of fun." She said with a smile.

"I was! I just had the feeling they wanted to play."

"I think it wasn't that they wanted to play, I think they just really wanted to know what Japanese food tasted like." She told him.

Akira gasped, feigning shock before adopting a very Shakespearian tone.

"How dare you accuse my new friends of such terrible things! I renounce mankind on their behalf! You will pay dearly for this insult!"

He dropped the umbrella and scooped Futaba up into his arms, tickling her as the rain continued to fall and her giggling fits and squeaks of protest grew louder.

"Take it back!" Akira told her.

"Never!" She gasped, struggling to tickle him back.

"Take it back and I'll put you down!" He told her again.

"NEVER!" She exclaimed defiantly before wiggling out of his grasp and scooping up the umbrella before running down the trail.

"Catch me if you can Hyena Boy!" She told him as she disappeared over the next hill.

Once they had seen all the Night Safari had to offer, the pair called for a cab and set a course for their hotel. The pair still soaked from the rainstorm that had hit a few hours earlier and since they were in the tropics of Southeast Asia, the humidity meant it would take a few centuries for their clothes to dry.

"Mr. Akira it'll be about a forty-five-minute drive back into the city. My iPad has a bunch of tv shows loaded onto it. Feel free to put something on for you and your friend." The cab driver said, pointing to the tablet strapped to the back of the seat before adjusting the straps on his driving gloves.

"Thank you, sir," Akira said as he took Futaba's hand into his own.

"You're welcome. The seat warmer control is on the center console by your feet should help you dry off." The cabbie said as they pulled out of the parking lot.

Futaba closed her eyes and put her head on Akira's shoulder as he scrolled through the selection of tv shows on the tablet. Akira smiled as he started an episode of Neo-Featherman.

"Tired?" Akira asked.

"No, just happy…I don't want today to end."

"Me neither, it's been a while since it's been just us hanging out. I missed it." Akira said, putting an arm around her.

Futaba snuggled into his side.

"I missed you…and I'm sorry if I say that too much."

"No no, not at all. I missed you too." He replied, nuzzling into her neck.

The pair turned their attention to the heavily stylized fight scene that was unfolding before them, and Futaba chuckled slightly.

"Hey…this is my favorite episode."

"I know." He told her softly. She squeezed his hand.

"Geez, how did we get here again?"

"I stole your heart remember?" He reminded her.

"Ohh yeah…you know you're a damn good thief." She told him, hooking her leg over his lap. Akira was surprised by the maneuver as his face was bright red, and the cabbie was trying to suppress a knowing chuckle.

Akira spoke in a lowered tone.

"So we havin strawberries when we get-"

Futaba didn't let him finish, she just kissed him hard on the lips before pulling away, evening removing her leg from his lap. She grinned devilishly at him as he swallowed hard.

"I'm going to take that as a yes." He said, breathless before struggling to turn his attention back to the iPad. The ride back was long and silent after that, but Futaba displayed cool confidence that wasn't unlike the confidence he put on before a heist. Which he had to admit was undeniably sexy.

Akira had to surpass a huff of irritation when he noticed the cab was going just under the speed limit.

It was going to be a long drive.

…

The pair went straight up to their room once they arrived, with Akira practically throwing a handful of dollar bills at their cab driver as Futaba stood on the steps of the hotel's entrance waiting for him.

Then as they walked into the lobby, Futaba, still unusually stoic, grabbed his hand and led him to the elevator and not just any elevator, the last elevator at the far end of the hall.

When the doors closed, she spun around and faced him, taking both of his hands and closing the gap between the both of them. She looked up at him, letting him see that the fire in her eyes dimming before looking down at the floor.

"Taba, you ok?" He asked softly as the elevator slowly lifted them out of the lobby.

The doubt in her eyes vanished temporarily.

"Yeah yeah I'm fine, just trying not to lose my nerve." She told him with a nod.

"Well if you're having any doubts, we don't have to do this tonight. We can wait." He said, squeezing her hands.

She huffed.

"I'd feel bad making you wait. I mean we've been talking about this since-"

"This isn't just about me. I'm not jumping into this until you say jump. Whether that's tonight, tomorrow or ten years from now."

"That could be a long time."

"I'd wait for you forever Taba."

Futaba playfully stomped her foot and groaned.

"But then you say shit like that and I wanna bang you 9 different ways to Sunday! It's not fair! How do you do that?!"

"Do what?" He asked, feigning innocence.

"Be so damn suave! It's infuriating!" She protested.

"Well, you're cute when you're all hot and bothered. It's a great motivator." He explained as the elevator dinged and the doors opened.

As they exited, Futaba grabbed him by his belt buckle.

"Come here you." She grumbled before she started dragging through the halls and into their room.

As the door closed behind them, Futaba led her boyfriend to a spot in front of the bathroom.

"Wait right there," she said before walking over to their suitcase and digging through it before returning with a tie which she carefully used to blindfold him.

"Oh, was I didn't know you were into this kind of thing. I would have bought fuzzy handcuffs..."

"That's not what this is for!" She exclaimed. "Just stay here ok, I'll be right out."

"Ok." He told her, giving her a thumbs up.

"You're looking at the thermostat. Turn like twenty degrees to the right." She told him with a snicker.

He pivoted in place but went past his mark.

"That was 30 degrees," she told him.

Akira shook his head and slowly rotated in the opposite direction.

"Keep it going, keep going. Ok, stop! Stop!"

Akira was looking at the thermostat again.

Futaba sighed and shook her head.

"How'd I do? Am I looking at you?"

"Yup!" She lied.

"Ok!" He said, giving the thermostat two thumbs up.

"You're such a dork." She laughed.

"Love you too!" He replied as she shut the bathroom door, leaving her alone with her thoughts.

She looked at herself in the mirror and took a shaky breath before slipping out of her damp dress.

She winced nervously at her form, turning around slowly in place as if she was afraid to see the rest of herself.

She had no lingerie.

No body suit.

No stockings or thigh high socks

No bright red lipstick.

No high heels she kept in reserve for this exact purpose.

She just had herself, a plain white bra and panties with space invader aliens printed on them.

She felt so plain, boring, just simply not enough. She huffed in frustration and leaned back against the door before sliding to the floor.

After a minute of silence, she heard Akira collide with the door

"Ow." He muttered before leaning down.

"Taba? You ok?"

She sighed.

"No, no I'm not. I thought I could do this but now I'm having second guesses...I'm just scared I guess."

"What are you scared of Taba? Be honest." He prompted.

"It's stupid." She said shaking her head

"If it's bothering you it's not stupid. It is worth talking about though." He insisted.

"I'm worried that I'll walk out there, and you'll realize that you made a mistake. That I'll let you down because I don't have huge boobs like Ann or Makoto's perfect butt. Guys like you don't end up with girls like me."

Akira took a deep breath.

"Futaba...I don't know where you got the idea that you'd let me down because of how you look. There is nothing about you that would make me think we were a mistake. You're beautiful in your gym shorts and a t-shirt and I know you look beautiful when you walk out of that bathroom. I chose to be with you for a lot of reasons, and I'll always choose you. Tonight, tomorrow, ten years from now. Always."

A fire ignited in Futaba's heart as she wiped away a tear and stood up, placing a shaky hand on the door handle.

"I'm coming out." She said firmly as she opened the door to find her boyfriend standing in front of her in his boxers, his tie still obstructing his vision.

"Hey, no fair. I was gonna undress you!" She grumbled.

"Oh sorry! I heard you take your dress off so I thought you would want me to undress too." He told her as she walked over putting her arms around his neck, her hands slowly reaching up towards the makeshift blindfold

Akira put his arms around her waist as she pressed herself up against him.

"You still want to do this now?" He asked her.

"I want this with you more than anything." She said with a nod.

"Let me know if anything makes you uncomfortable ok?" Akira said giving her a squeeze.

"I will...are you ready?" She asked.

Akira nodded gently as Futaba inhaled sharply and pulled his blindfold off.

Akira's breath hitched when he saw her.

There was no lingerie.

No body suit.

No stockings or thigh high socks

No bright red lipstick.

No high heels

Just her.

She was perfect.

"You're so fucking sexy it drives me crazy." He breathes as he scooped her up and kissed her hard on the lips. Futaba gasped but wrapped her legs around his hips as he tried to turn them around in the doorway only to encounter unseen resistance.

Futaba broke from the kiss for air and chuckled when she realized what was going on.

"We stuck?"

"I'm caught on something I think." He replied, wiggling his hips as he tried to locate the snag.

"Come on..." He muttered as Futaba planted kisses on his neck.

"Are we just too fat?" She pondered.

"We can't be, it's us! We're twigs." He protested

"Sexy twigs." She added before taking off her bra and chucking it into the depths of the bathroom.

"Damn right." He told her, planting a quick kiss on her collarbone. "You know if you have to, you can put me down." She told him as he strained in place.

"I don't want...to put you.. _down_!" He yelped as a loud RIIIIIIIP echoed through the room

"Uh oh..." Akira muttered as Futaba peered over his shoulder and started giggling.

"Akira! You're boxers!" She yelped.

Her boyfriend craned his neck and realized that his boxers had gotten caught on the door handle before he tore them wide open.

"Oops." He muttered as Futaba gently bit into his shoulder.

"You've got a really cute butt, you know that?"

Akira chuckled and blushed, muttering a thank you as he carried her over to the bed and placed her down on it. She used her legs, which were still wrapped around him, to pull his mangled boxers down as she was lowered onto the bed.

Akira reached over and turned the lamp at their bedside off as he felt something fly over his shoulder.

"There, now we match," Futaba said before pulling him into her embrace.

...

Akira couldn't remember when he and Futaba went to bed or how they had managed to decimate their room. The chair by the window was lying on its side and the small desk near the foot of their bed had been cleared of everything that had been sitting on top of it. The lamp, the room service menu, the city's guidebook, and a complimentary phone loaded with maps and a translator app. All strewn across the floor along with their clothes.

"Hey, you're up," Futaba said, nuzzling into her boyfriend's neck.

"Morning." He said with a smile, planting a kiss on her forehead. "How'd you sleep?"

"Good! I had the weirdest dream though." She said rolling on top of him and resting her head on his chest.

"Oh yeah?" He asked as he started to play with her hair.

"Mhmm, I was Johnny Cage's daughter, and I was a badass!" She said excitedly, earning a chuckle from her boyfriend.

"You're already a badass." He reminded her.

"True." She snickered.

"That's funny though because I had a weird dream too." He told her.

"What happened?"

"I was in mementos fighting Isabelle-"

"From Animal Crossing?" Futaba gasped.

"Yeah! But I was fighting her and then Kirby just ate me. Never saw it coming."

His girlfriend winced.

"Oh jeez, then what happened?"

Akira's eyes narrowed as he tried to remember.

"…I think I died because I woke up."

"Oh…well that's grim," Futaba said with a huff.

"Right?" Akira said with a chuckle.

They lay in silence for several minutes, still wrapped in bed sheets as the light started to pour in through the gaps in the curtains.

"We should probably get up. I don't think Makoto and Haru want to take Mona to lunch too." Akira muttered.

"Yeah, I know, what time is it anyway?" Futaba sighed, wrapping her arms around her boyfriend and giving him a tight hug.

Akira craned his neck to look at the clock on the nightstand.

"It's…gonna be 10! We gotta shower." He yelped.

"Holy crap, how late were we up?" His girlfriend wondered as she rolled off him.

"I have no idea." He grumbled as he sat up, hopping out of bed and scooping up the first pair of underwear he found in the dim light.

"Um, hun those are mine," Futaba told him as she wrapped the bedsheets around herself and got out of bed.

"Oh jeez, sorry. Here." Her boyfriend said with a chuckle before gently tossing Futaba her underwear.

"I already know you look a lot better in them than I ever could." He said as Futaba caught them before she followed him into the bathroom.

…

A.N-Sorry I've been gone for so long everyone. Truth is this chapter was really tough to write because that last scene was super hard for me to write. It went through a few iterations before I was satisfied with how it came out. Those versions definitely hade more…uh….spice, but they were littered with purple prose, it all felt super forced and read like every other sex scene that's ever been written. Just not the quality I think you guys have come to expect from me. I'm sure this chapter isn't what most were hoping for, but I hope it feels true to the relationship you've been watching grow.

Another reason this took so long was that I was doing some restructuring for how the rest of this story will play out and where it's going. Which means I had to finally make a call on a sequel which I will now confirm. It is happening and a good chunk of how the rest of this story plays out will contribute to setting up that story and its conflict.

This will still be a romance story focusing on Futaba and Akira but it's going to get a lot more intense from here on out. So, for the next chapter, bring popcorn and bring a stress ball. It's about to get nuts.

Until next time,

Thanks for reading!


	14. Family Reunion

Family Reunion

"What time does the event start again?" Haru asked as she brushed her hair the doorway of their bathroom.

"sffx er clerk-" Makoto said before spitting into the sink and setting her toothbrush down.

"What was that my love?" Haru said with a giggle, before walking over to their bed and sitting down on the edge of it.

"Six o clock." Her girlfriend replied. "Sorry."

"It's ok!" Haru replied. "Do you think we should eat dinner before we go?"

"Futaba told me that there would be food there, according to what she found digging around the event planner's computer," Makoto said as she walked out of the bathroom. "Why? You hungry?"

"A little, but I wouldn't want to spoil my dinner. Especially since everyone will be there. I can't even remember the last time we were all together for a night out." Haru said

"It has been awhile." Makoto affirmed.

"You know, this whole trip has got me thinking about something." Haru said, brushing a stray hair from her girlfriend's face.

"Oh?"

"We should go on a trip of our own someday."

"Any place you had in mind?" Makoto asked.

Haru pursed her lips.

"Well, my father…you know how I told you he really liked science fiction movies?"

"Yeah, I remember. You guys watched those American made Cthulhu Mythos movies when you started at Shujin. It's how you got into horror movies right?"

"That's right!" Haru exclaimed.

"So, is there really a town in America called Innsmouth that you want to go to?" Makoto wondered, raising an eyebrow.

Haru giggled.

"No no! I was going to suggest Yellowstone."

"Yellowstone?"

"It's a national park. The first in the world actually. You see the only other kind of movie my father would watch were westerns. I think the idea of the old west, of cowboys and outlaws, and the ever-growing influence of civilization in a lawless and untamed land fascinated him."

"It does sound rather romantic." Makoto said with a dreamy look in her eyes.

"Doesn't it though? Anyway, forgive me, I'm rambling."

"It's ok don't worry," Makoto assured her.

Haru smiled

"So, when my mother and father were dating, they ended up flying out to Yellowstone for their 4th anniversary, they stayed there for a week. I remember father telling me that he would take my mother out on walks along the river because it was springtime and she wanted to see a baby bison. On the way back to the cabin, my father led her out into a field and purposed to her under the stars."

"You've never talked about your mom before."

"She passed away not long after giving birth to me," Haru said sadly.

"Father told me stories about her for as long as I can remember, but I always remembered Yellowstone being the first one.

"I think I'd like to go there with you one day. I like to think that, maybe, there's a part of her that's still out there. Looking for bison in the moonlight. I'd like for us to go there someday. Since it's the closest you'll probably get to meeting her."

"I'd really like that," Makoto said with a smile.

"You would?" Haru asked, almost surprised.

"Of course! You and me on a romantic getaway in the middle of the American wilderness? Sounds like the perfect getaway for a pair of outlaws." Her girlfriend with a wink.

"I was worried you might find the whole notion strange, considering we've only just started dating," Haru explained sheepishly.

"Haru, there's nowhere I wouldn't go with you by my side," Makoto explained.

Her girlfriend replied to this by resting her head on her shoulder.

"I love you." She said softly.

There was a long peaceful silence between them while Makoto kissed the top of Haru's head several times.

"So…anywhere huh?" Haru asked innocently.

"Anywhere except that crazy haunted house in Germany, you showed me the other day. Hard pass." Makoto told her.

Her girlfriend laughed

"I'll convince you yet darling."

…

Yusuke hadn't moved from his place in over an hour.

The pieces he had spent countless sleepless nights perfecting were finally in their rightful place. A sky bridge that connected the art museum's north gallery to its south gallery. There were a few other pieces in this area, but his own works took center stage. Each of them stood watch over the crossing, the glass in front of them looking out over the core of downtown Singapore.

The first painting he had finished was a single solitary figure standing alone in a crimson tunnel, a tunnel that twisted like a screw as it plunged into the darkness before the figure. The darkness that clung to the walls and ceilings could be seen creeping towards the figure, threatening to swallow it whole.

The second painting showed the same tunnel but from a new angle. The perspective of the first figure, only it's arms visible as it reached for another figure that was standing above it. Offering aid as the crimson light of the tunnel was fading and the shadows crept in. In the background, another pair of figures could be seen slicing through the darkness with blades of light.

The third was the most unique of the two. The figure from the first painting sat in a café, its warm browns and tan colors giving off a sense of safety and security that was absent in the previous paintings. The features now identifiable along with the features of those who had saved him from the darkness. Anyone passing by would be able to recognize he was the lonely figure from the tunnel, but only he knew who everyone else was supposed to be even if their features were only lightly defined.

The young man making coffee on the opposite side of the bar. The boy with the slouch who was arguing with a cat. The young woman who was trying to break them up, the studious girl with her nose in a textbook, A girl typing away on her computer and a young lady sitting prim and proper enjoying a cup of coffee.

Yusuke felt a pang of loneliness in his heart.

How he longed to be in that café right about now.

He pulled out his phone to check the time. It was 6 PM exactly.

He yawned and stretched his arms as he heard the clamors of eager art enthusiasts, journalists, and curious tourists grow louder. He knew it would take them all at least 45 minutes to make their way through the north gallery, which gave him plenty of time to text his friends and take much-needed bathroom break. After looking up from his phone to make sure no one was coming his way, he turned towards the south gallery only to see an unbelievable sight.

His friends, all six of them, standing side by side.

Akira stood in the center of the group. He wore a dashing maroon suit over a black vest and white dress shirt. Linked to his arm was Futaba who was in a black dress with bright green sigils that resembled alien hieroglyphs on the bottom of her skirt. Next to her was Morgana in a simple but dapper black tuxedo with a yellow bowtie, looking awfully pleased with himself. Opposite of him was Ann who wore a striking red dress with black and gold trimming around the bottom of her skirt. She had paired with a hot pink shawl and had let her blonde hair down. To top it off she had tucked a rose behind her ear. On the opposite side of the lineup was Makoto who was wearing a long flowing midnight blue dress while Haru, whose arm was linked with her girlfriend's, wore a dark red corset and a long pink skirt with a striking gold necklace depicting a Fleur De Leis. Next to them was Ryuji who wore a grey collared shirt and black slacks and vest with a yellow tie, standing close to him was Olivia who was wearing a formal black dress similar to Makoto's.

"Oh…" Was all he could manage before Futaba threw her arms into the air.

"Surprise!" She exclaimed.

He was still frozen in place.

"Yusuke?" She asked gently. "Surprise?"

Tears started to well in his eyes as he managed to speak.

"Hello everyone." He managed before he started to cry which spurred the girl's, save for Olivia, to surge forward and pull him into a hug. Makoto tried to soothe him by rubbing his back, Ann and Haru had wrapped him up in a big hug from either side while Futaba hugged him from behind, arms wrapped around him like he was eucalyptus tree and she was a kola.

After a few minutes, he managed to compose himself and the girls dispersed and the guys moved in next, Akira and Ryuji gave their friend a quick hug while Morgana jumped into his friends' arms for a longer one.

Afterward, Yusuke wiped his tears and chuckled before gesturing towards them.

"You're all here!"

"Well of course we are, it's a big day for you!" Makoto told him.

"How did you all…Haru?"

"I purposed footing the bill for the trip but Futaba wasn't having it." She replied with a shrug.

"So, it was you Futaba? You made the arrangements for all this?" Yusuke wondered.

"Sure did!" She beamed. "Well, I just did the…" She looked around to make sure the coast was clear. "Hacking, Akira and Makoto did all the research."

"My friends…" Yusuke said looking around at all of them. "Have you seen the rest of the galleries?"

"We're only here for one artist, in particular, to be honest," Futaba said with a smile.

"I passed this sculpture that looked like a bunch of French fries, which looked pretty cool," Ryuji admitted.

"Oh yes, that's my friend Tan's. She won't be pleased to hear yet another person has mistaken them for French fries."

"What is it supposed to be?" Olivia asked.

"I don't recall…" He replied, furrowing his brow. "I will ask her later though."

"Is she here? We'd love to meet her." Makoto told him.

"Yes, she's in the north gallery with the rest of her works. I'm sure she would love to join us for dinner. We had quite a fun time last night when we went to dinner." He replied.

"Whoa wait you two went out to dinner?"

"Yes, we went to a movie afterwards as well. It was her idea."

Everyone in the group exchanged glances.

"So, she asked you to go out with her for dinner and a movie." Ann clarified.

"Yes," Yusuke said with a nod.

"Just the two of you," Akira asked.

"That's correct."

"Dude…you went on a date," Ryuji said with a grin.

Yusuke pondered this for a moment before nodding.

"It would seem so."

"We'll have to have a guy talk later," Ryuji told him and Akira nodded in response.

"So, can you show us around?" Futaba asked.

Yusuke nodded excitedly.

"I will just have to get a museum attendant to man my station before we depart."

"I hope you don't get in any trouble for getting someone to cover for you," Makoto said, looking around for any museum attendants that might be walking by.

"Oh no, I won't be in any trouble at all. I just need to let them know where I will be if they need to find me." He explained, pulling a walkie talkie out from his back pocket and making a quick radio call before looking up to his friends after getting a reply.

"Alright, we have two hours before dinner. Where shall we start?"

…

The dining hall, unlike the rest of the gallery, pulled from an art deco style of architecture, rather than the modern style that seemed to dominate the rest of the city.

White marble columns with ornamental brass animals from the region lined the edges of the room, two massive chandeliers hung from the ceiling on opposite ends of the room and behind everyone in the dining room was a large panoramic window that overlooked the Singapore Strait. In the center of the room was the bar, which was crowded with important figures from the art world as well as other high-ranking officials of the government who had been invited as special guests. The bar itself ran half the length of the room, before connecting to the bare concrete wall that kept the dining room separate from the kitchen.

It was chaotic for sure, but Futaba was surprisingly content with her surroundings. Mostly because she wasn't paying attention to the crowd and was much more interested in what Akira was whispering into her ear as they danced together in the heart of the crowd. She had learned, over the past several songs, that a crowd this big gave them so much appreciated privacy.

However, when they spotted Ryuji signaling them from the edge of the crowd, the pair slowly moved to rejoin the Thieves, who were sitting around a large table, watching as the main course was brought out from the kitchen. It started to appear as if they had jumped the gun when returning the table, as the waiters were still struggling to organize themselves.

As Futaba and Akira sat down at the table, Haru giggled before tapping Makoto on the shoulder and showing her a picture on her phone.

"Mako, look at this cat!"

"Oh wow, that is a fat cat." Makoto snickered.

"Probably not fatter than Olivia's cat," Ryuji interjected as he and his girlfriend sat down.

"Ryuji," Haru said with a sigh, looking apologetically at Olivia.

"Oh no don't worry its true. My cat is humongous." She replied.

"From all the pictures Ryuji has shown me, your cat looks perfectly normal," Akira added.

"Nah dude its just the angle I take the pictures from. One morning I woke up at Olivia's and that cat asked me to bring her Solo." Ryuji told Akira, earning a few chuckles from him and Futaba.

"Alright everyone, can I ask anyone who's not here with a special someone to take a seat? This next dance is reserved for couples only." The DJ announced.

"Shall we?" Olivia asked, before gently pulling her bashful boyfriend onto the dance floor with Futaba, Akira, Haru and Makoto following close behind.

As the music started to play, Ryuji's hands found their way onto his girlfriend's waist.

So how did you guys meet Yusuke again?" Olivia asked as the lights dimmed.

"Ummm…" Ryuji eyes seemingly scanned the ceiling, like the answers were hidden on it.

Olivia frowned ever so slightly and leaned up against him.

"Is it one of those things you aren't ready to tell me about?"

Ryuji nodded sheepishly.

"I'm sorry, I know you're just trying to get to know me and my friends but we're all kinda…complicated."

"People are complicated." She told him with a shrug. "Is there anything you _can_ tell me?"

Ryuji nodded before he twirled her around.

"When we first met Yusuke, he was in a lot of trouble. He was stuck with a person who didn't care about him, and they took advantage of him. He trusted them, he believed in them and when he finally realized that, it messed him up. His whole world got turned upside down overnight."

"Good thing he had you guys to help him get through it." She said.

"I already let one team down, wasn't about to do it again." He explained. "Did I ever tell you about that?"

"No, I don't think you have." She said with a smile.

"Really? Jeez, I really haven't told you much about myself huh?"

"No, but I'm in no rush." She replied before planting a kiss on his cheek. "You guys seem like a tight-knit group. I want to earn your trust, no matter how long it takes."

Ryuji blushed.

"Ok, so has Ann told you about Kamoshida?"

"No, how top secret is that one? Scale of one to ten."

"Negative twelve. Ok so wait till you hear how this all started…" Ryuji began as they swayed to the music.

Across the room, Ann watched the pair with a mix of happiness and envy.

"What's wrong Ann?" A voice asked her.

She turned to see that Yusuke had moved seats to be next to her.

"Oh, N-nothing." She said with a smile.

Her friend scowled at her.

"If you're going lie, you could try to be a little more convincing."

Ann chuckled dryly.

"It's that obvious huh?"

He nodded.

"I will admit your acting has improved but I am much more adept at detecting it now."

Ann sighed and shook her head.

"I don't know if you'd understand…"

"Try me," Yusuke replied.

"Ok…have you ever felt like there's someone…or something in your life that is your biggest what if. Like, the potential was there for your life to completely change?"

"Actually yes. I think about someone like that quite frequently."

"Who?" Ann asked.

"You." Her friend replied.

Ann blinked, one, twice, three times before replying.

"Me?"

Yusuke nodded.

"If I had never seen you, I never would have followed you asking you to model for me. I never would have met Ryuji or Akira. I never would have become a Phantom Thief, and I would never have escaped Madarame. I would of never ended up here." Yusuke explained. "I probably would have ended up like Nakanohara's friend…jumping off a roof in Shibuya."

"That's a scary thought," Ann told him, shutting her eyes tightly as her memories pulled her back to the day Shiho tried to kill herself.

"It is, but every time the thought snakes into my mind, I push it away because I know I have you all to help me through anything." He said with a smile before shaking his head.

"I'm sorry, I made this about me all of a sudden."

"It's ok." She told him.

"So, what's bothering you, Ann?" Her friend pressed.

She took a shaky breath.

"I think…I think I'm in love with Ryuji."

Yusuke's eyes widened.

"I think I've always liked him but now I'm realizing how much I like him. Like, don't get me wrong, I'm so happy for him and Olivia but it's hard because I really wish it was me out there dancing with him right now."

Yusuke scratched the back of his head.

"I suddenly feel inadequate for this task. Perhaps Akira would be better suited to help-"

Ann shook her head.

"Your perfectly adequate Yusuke, I think I just needed someone to vent to."

"So, you're feeling better then?"

"Yeah, I am."

"Good, I'm glad to hear that." He said with a smile.

"I'm glad that we met." She said before pulling him into a hug

"Me too." He replied as she released him from her embrace before someone tapped on her shoulder. She turned to see a young man, roughly her age, dressed in a dark blue suit with white accents and gold trim. As she looked up at him, he offered her his hand.

"Miss? May I have this dance?" The stranger asked, his long hair and the dim lighting of the room obstructing his face.

Ann looked to Yusuke who gave her a quizzical look before nodding with approval.

"Oh yes!" She told the stranger before standing up and taking his hand.

The pair made their way out to the center of the dance floor before they started dancing as the music slowed to a crawl, encouraging intimacy between partners.

"If you don't mind my asking, what brings you to Singapore?" He pondered.

"I'm here with some friends, one of them has his work displayed here. So, we came here to support him."

"How lovely, must be nice, having everyone you love in one place."

"It is nice," Ann said with a smile.

"Funny coincidence too, your friends gets his big break and you're all able to get together in a beautiful place. Quite something, don't you think?" Her partner inquired.

"Yeah…hey…I didn't tell you my friend got his big break."

"You didn't have to tell me, Ann, I already knew."

She looked up and chills went down her back as he brushed his hair from his face, revealing cold yellow eyes staring back at her.

"Akechi."

"In the flesh." He said with a smile.

"You're a-alive?"

"Don't sound so surprised."

As he twirled her around, he put her into a chokehold, whistling sharply. From the corners of the room, men in suits boxed the remaining Thieves in, drawing small silver handguns as they did so. They wore white porcelain masks that depicted a simple black figure, a triangle for torso and circle for a head, four wings spread, and arm raised towards the top of the mask which was just an empty white half circle outlined in black.

Akira scanned his surroundings before locking eyes with his nemesis as the lights came up in the blink of an eye.

"Goro!" He hissed, stepping in front of Futaba protectively.

"Why so formal old friend?" He asked.

"What are you doing here?"

"Isn't obvious, I wanted to have a little get together with everyone. It's been so long since I've seen any of you. We have so much to talk about it."

Panic was beginning to spread through the crowd as the many noticed that Akechi's accomplices were armed. Ann struggled against his hold on her as he advanced closer to Akira and Futaba. Much to her boyfriend's alarm, Futaba stepped out in front of him, arms raised and walked to meet Akechi's advance.

"Akechi, what happened to you?" She asked. "We all thought you were dead."

"After I destroyed Shido's twisted vision of me, I escaped from the ship using one of the Goho-Ms that Akira made for all of us in case of emergencies. I was long gone by the time you all circled back around to exit via the bow. After that, I went into hiding, I thought briefly about rejoining you all but decided against it. Let's be honest, you all wanted me gone anyway."

"We mourned you Akechi…" Ann protested.

"How noble of you," He chided. "and how predictable. I try to kill you all and you think because we had a touching moment before my apparent demise, we can suddenly go back to meeting at Le Blanc, eating curry and drinking coffee together."

"We really did start to get used to having you around Akechi, I swear it," Futaba told him, taking a step closer.

"You're alive, and yeah you did awful things, but that doesn't have to be your whole story. Come home with us, we can help you."

Akechi shook his head.

"You honestly think there's a way to redeem me?"

Futaba nodded earnestly and Akechi laughed.

"That's where your mistaken Futaba, I know what I am, and unlike you all…" He said, pulling a pistol from his coat pocket and aiming it at Ann's head.

"I know how this sad story ends." He then shifted the gun to his own head and fired.

"PERSONA!" He exclaimed as the gunshot echoed through the dining hall, the air around him shimmered and a ghostly blue column of fire engulfed him and Ann. When the flames subsided, the familiar black and white visage of Loki floated above the pair, blazing red sword in hand.

"How?!" Futaba yelped.

"Futaba, run!" Akira screamed as Akechi pointed to her.

"Crush her Loki!"

"No!" Ann shouted, bringing an arm up and elbowing her attacker in the gut before rolling away from him as Loki slashed at her with its sword.

"Persona!" Ann called out, as the air around her shimmered and a familiar figure emerged from a column of blue fire as she found herself in Phantom Thief garb. The other masked figures put their weapons to their heads and fired, summoning their own personas.

"We're surrounded." Futaba cursed as Ryuji growled and took a step forward but quickly turned to Olivia.

"I need you to get everyone out of here." He said as his friends summoned their persona and formed a defensive perimeter around Futaba and Prometheus in the center of the room.

"Ryuji what's going on?!" She asked.

"I can't explain it all right now, but I promise I will. I just need you to get somewhere safe and call for help."

"I can't just run away and leave you here! Those guys have guns!"

"Oliva please!" Ryuji said as Yusuke called out to him.

"Skull behind you!"

Ryuji, not even hesitating, turned and picked up a chair as a masked gunman rushed him. As the aggressor raised his gun, Ryuji smashed his face in with the furniture. The gunman was stunned but undeterred and summoned his persona to attack the couple.

"Dance Hecate!" Ann shouted as a pillar of flame engulfed the gunman and his persona, stopping the attack dead in its tracks. The gunman fell over, smoke rolling off his body as his persona faded into nothingness.

"Go. Please." Skull pleaded.

Olivia looked to the crowd that was throwing themselves through the emergency exit and back to her boyfriend before nodding.

"Please please _please_ be careful." She told him before ditching her high heeled shoes and fleeing.

Skull watched her go before turning back to the battle at hand, watching as Joker sprinted towards Akechi, summoning Yamata-no-Orochi as he drew near. The eight-headed monster roared, its centermost head opening its jaws and spitting a bitterly cold beam of ice at Akechi, who rolled away from the strike with ease and grunted as Joker crashed into him, picking him up and throwing him into the bar. Drinks clattered and fell onto the red and gold carpeted floor as the Akechi stood up, pulling out a small dagger from his coat, taking several swings at his foe as he tried to press his attack. Akira dodged the first flurry of swings but hissed in pain as one swipe ripped open his cheek.

Joker yelled in fury as he yanked a bottle of champagne from behind the bar and cracked Akechi over the head with it. His hated nemesis yelled in pain dropping his dagger as glass fragments cut into his hairline and around his eyes but managed to stagger forward send Joker reeling with a quick right hook before following up with a quick jab to the kidney. The leader of the Thieves fell to his knees and Akechi scooped up his dagger and grabbed his foe by the hair, forcing him to look into his piercing yellow eyes as he raised his dagger to stab Akira in the throat before a long black mechanical tentacle struck him in the ribs, sending him flying through the air and across the room, crashing through a table as he landed.

"Thanks, honey." Joker wheezed as he grabbed Akechi's dagger of the floor and rushed to where he had fallen.

Across the room, Makoto was trying to rally the rest of the Thieves.

"We can't afford a prolonged engagement; we need to make this quick!" She told them as a gunman charged her, brandishing his weapon before Makoto met him, grabbing his forearm and flipping him over her head and crashing down into a table, breaking his arm as he landed, forcing him to drop his dagger. As he screamed in pain, Makoto punched him in the throat, silencing him and putting him out of the fight.

A column of purple and white light engulfed them all as another waved of masked men rushed them.

"You're all charged up, give em hell guys!" Futaba told them from the safety of Prometheus.

"You're the best Oracle," Ann said she had Hecate erected a wall of blazing fire in front of her, stopping one masked attacker in his tracks. He gestured to the wall of fire and his persona, King Frost, raised its scepter only to yelp in alarm as Anat hurdled the flames and struck it in the face with a flying knee before hurling a ball of nuclear energy into another nearby hostile persona as she landed, dispatching them both in seconds.

"Come and get some!" Ryuji shouted as he and a charged up Seiten Taisei leapt forward, his persona striking the ground with its staff and sending the incoming swarm of Oni led by a Mara flying into the air as the earth rolled beneath them. Haru saw an opportunity and had Astarte fire on the flailing persona with her unseen arsenal, tearing them to shreds in seconds and stopping the charge outright.

Suddenly a bloody red sword flew through the air, striking Prometheus square in the center and making it drop from the ground with a thud. Futaba screamed in pain as the lights on her persona flickered and went out, and the other Phantom Thieves turned their attention towards Loki, who had just dispatched Yamata-no-Orochi and was now charging in to finish Futaba off.

"Someone check on her!" Yusuke shouted as he ordered Susano-O to charge Loki. As it flew forward, the persona's sword glowed purple and it reeled back, lining up a strike that was sure to decapitate its foe, only for Loki to recall its sword as its attacker swung. As Loki caught the blade a golden sphere blinked into existence around it and as Susano-O's blade connected, it shattered, half of the broken sword flying to a nearby pillar and impaling itself in the marble. Loki growled and sent Yusuke's persona to the floor with a single punch before resuming its charge.

"Show us your might Mercurius!" Mona shouted, his new phantom thief garb being a black jacket and pants with a gold bandana covering his face. His persona flew forward, extending both hands and unleashed hurricane forces winds that sent everything not nailed down flying towards the far end of the dining hall.

"Oracle, you ok?" Makoto asked as Prometheus rose back into the air, it's neon lights flickering to life.

"Y-yeah. That sword clipped my leg. I'll be alright though, healing as we speak." She replied before looking to Loki who's advance had been greatly slowed by Mona's attack.

The persona roared in fury and lashed out with its sword, an energy wave ripping up the ground in front of it and surging forward and striking Mona in the chest, sending him crashing into a chandelier before falling onto a nearby table with a thud.

Loki started rushing towards her again, blade aimed a little higher this time. Futaba scowled and willed Prometheus to prepare its tentacles as Loki erected a magic barrier, negating incoming attacks from the other Thieves.

"PERSONA!" A voice shouted from across the room, a golden dragon with haunting red eyes tore through the air, roaring as it crashed in Loki, biting down into its neck and forcing it to the ground, before lifting up Loki's head and slamming into the floor three times before switching targets, grabbing Loki's arm with its jaws by the shoulder and with a quick twist of its head, pulled the persona's arm was ripped from its socket.

Black blood poured from the wound as Loki howled before kicking the dragon away, sending it flying over Akechi and Akira and through the gigantic glass window and onto the sloped roof of the south gallery, leaving it to the lie there groaning while their masters battled.

Akira grunted as he ducked under one of Akechi's punches, stepping inside his guard and quickly stabbing him in the ribs. As Akira withdrew, Akechi snarled struck his foe with a headbutt before he tackled him through the broken window, the pair rolling down the side of the roof before scrambling to their feet across from each other.

Kohryu roared as he coiled up like a serpent, ready to strike Loki as it charged towards them. When the trickster god was within striking distance, the dragon hissed and struck but Loki sidestepped and drove its sword through the top of the dragon's head, killing it and making Akira double over.

"You're a touch out of practice Joker," Akechi said, shaking his head in disappointment.

"Akechi…what happened to you…"

"I accepted what I am, and what this world is." He said, his yellow eyes glowing brighter as he spoke. "So should you, while you still can."

"Look, if you want to kill me, then kill me. Leave the others out of it. They did nothing to you." Akira breathed, blood pouring from the cut on his face.

"Oh, as much as I'd love to take you up on that, my new master would be very disappointed if I left your dear Futaba to lead a long and happy life."

"What…why?" Akira asked, straightening his posture.

"She'll simply restart her mother's research and in 10 or 15 years she'll make a breakthrough. A breakthrough that will end up changing the world. She'll spread false hope to mankind. Such hopes cannot, and as long as my master has anything to say about it, be allowed to be weaponized. It only prolongs the inventible."

"How do you know this?" Akira asked.

"The Arcana is the means by which all is revealed, my old friend…for now, all you need to know is that this isn't personal. Not entirely anyway. I just need to finish what I started. Wiping out the Ishiki family. The only way I can do that is by making sure you can't interfere."

Loki's raised it sword up into the moonlight and the blade darkened from blood red to black as a nightmare. Standing this close, Akira could feel a cold wind cut through his clothes. His base instincts warned his death was near. Every part of him was screaming at him to run, but instead, he just tightened his grip on his knife as Akechi grinned at him.

"Killing you is just a conciliation prize."

"I don't know what happened to you between Shido's palace and now, but I don't care. You're out of second chances." Joker said a cold glare as he tore off his mask.

"ARSENE!" He shouted as the clouds above him blood red and a winged figure came screaming down from on high, smashing into Loki with both legs extended, sending the persona sprawling onto its back.

Arsene tried to disembowel the trickster god with his claws, only for Loki to punch him backward off the roof. As Arsene collided with Akira, he scooped him up with one hand while raising the other. Several black iron chains erupted from the palm of his hand; each chain tipped with a black dagger. The daggers buried themselves into Loki's chest and resulted in it getting yanked violently off the roof, taking Akechi with it.

The former ace detective landed on his back while Loki landed on its head before falling over onto its side. As Loki scrambled to its feet, it picked up its blackened blade and swung at Arsene who raised his wings to block the strike as Akechi scrambled to his feet and kicked Akira in the side, forcing him back down as he was still trying to stand up before he jumped onto him startled to throttle him.

Arsene lunged for Akechi, striking him with the back of his hand and sending him flying into a nearby light pole. Loki took advantage of the distraction and brought his sword down to stab Arsene in the back, only for the gentlemen thief to whirl around and catch the blade with his hands, groaning as he tried to keep the blade from plunging into his chest.

"Joker!" A voice shouted as Astarte and Haru arrived at street level with Prometheus and Futaba bringing up the rear.

Haru ran to her friend while her persona shoulder checked, Loki forcing the persona back as Akechi started to get up, running to trade a few more blows with his rival before Haru could arrive to render aid.

As the two met and started striking one another, Akira winced, because in the corner of his vison he saw as Astarte tried to fight Loki at close range, Haru's persona didn't last long and she was thrown back into the side of the art gallery by a kick.

Loki jumped forward and forced his sword through Astarte's chest. The persona let out an ear-piercing wail before it shattered into thousands of pieces like a stain glass window that had just had a rock thrown through it. Haru screamed like nothing Akira had ever heard before collapsing and Akira felt his connection to her, the same connection that had woken him up in the middle of the night and practically told him to text her because he had sensed she needed him, vanish in the blink of an eye.

Arsene's retaliation was swift and merciless, two more chain daggers emerged from his hands, one from each. The gentlemen thief roared, and both of his wings swept forward, bloody red feathers tearing into Loki's torso like bullets from a machine gun. Then first chain dagger shot forward and pinned Loki's remaining hand to the wall of the museum, forcing the persona to drop its weapon. The second found itself flying into the trickster god's head, Arsene snarled as he quickly reeled the slack in the chain around his hand before yanking Loki's head off with a flick of his wrist.

As the persona dissolved into black mist, Akira yelled struck Akechi in the gut with a high knee just like Makoto taught him and scooped up his dagger as he rolled forward and jamming the blade into the side of his hated foe's jaw. As he put another hand on the knife's handle yanked the blade out violently, Akechi fell onto his back, holding his wound with both hands.

With Akechi and Loki dispatched, Akira ran to Haru with Makoto and Futaba, who had jumped out of Prometheus, trailing behind him.

"Haru!" He yelled, turning her over onto her back.

Her forehead was beaded with sweat and the color had vanished from her face, her eyes struggling to focus on her friends face for a second. Akira quickly looked up to see Akechi and his reamaining accomplices darting into an unmarked van and fleeing the scene.

"Son of a bitch…" He hissed before tending to his friend.

"Haru, can you hear me?"

"H-hi Joker." She said weakly.

"Hey" He replied softly as Makoto arrived, dropping to her knees next to her girlfriend and grabbed her limp hand with both of her own.

"Hello, my love." She said, looking to her girlfriend.

Makoto tried to put on a brave face and kissed the back of her hand.

"Joker, can you have someone fill in for me on the frontline? I'm feeling rather tired."

"Yeah yeah, Ryuji can fill in, no worries." He replied with a nod.

"Oh good." She said as her eyelids started to flutter. Akira looked to his girlfriend.

"Call an ambulance, now." He told her. Futaba nodded and with shaking hands pulled out her phone and made the call.

"Haru keep your eyes open, focus on my voice," Makoto instructed.

"Tell me about the movie we were gonna see for Halloween. What was it called again?"

"Oh yes…The Color Out of Space?" Haru reminded her.

"Y-yeah that one," Makoto said with a quick nod.

"It's one of my favorite Lovecraft stories. W-will you go see it with me?" Haru asked quietly.

Makoto huffed, quickly wiping away a tear

"Yeah, of course, I will. Just as long as I get to stay the night afterward. You know how I get after watching scary movies."

"Of course, you can stay over, you practically live with me already. We might as well just make it official at this point."

Haru blinked hard several times before her eyes started to close.

"Hey hey keep talking to me ok. Stay awake."

"Just going to shut my eyes…for a few minutes, p-please Mako, just a few-"

Haru's eyes shut and she let out a slow ragged sigh before falling completely still.

"Haru? Haru, I need you to wake up." Makoto put her hands on her girlfriend's face, stroking her cheek with her thumb. "Haru, can you hear me?" Her voice became more frantic as Akira quickly put his ear to her chest.

"She's not breathing." Akira cursed and started giving her chest compressions as Futaba surged over.

"They're already on their way because of the…Haru?" She gasped and put her hands to her mouth.

"Oh no…" she whispered, tears forming in her eyes.

"Haru, please wake up…" Makoto pleaded as sirens drew near and the rest of the Thieves jogged over.

"Hey what's going, on-oh man…" Ryuji muttered.

"Haru!" Morgana yelled, running over.

"Stay over here bud, don't crowd her," Futaba said gently, stepping in front of him.

"I can help, I can help!" He insisted, pushing past her.

"Persona!" He shouted, but nothing appeared.

Morgana shook his head.

"What the-PERSONA!"

Still nothing.

"Dammit! What's happening?! Why can't I summon my Persona?!" He snarled as the ambulance arrived. It was only now did they realize their personas had vanished and they were back in their normal clothes.

As the paramedics rushed over, shouting to each other in English, Akira stepped away and let them do their jobs. With blinding speed, they loaded Haru onto a stretcher and ushered Makoto into the ambulance, leaving the rest of the team in the dust.

…

At the hospital, the Thieves entered Haru's room to find their friend laying on a bed, a mess of wires ran down the front of her hospital gown and a breathing tube had already been inserted into her mouth. Her vitals were hardly noticeable on the black and green monitors but the Doctor who was, presumably, in charge of her treatment jotted down his findings before turning to address the Thieves.

"Your friend's body is shutting down, quite frankly I've never seen anything like it. At this point, I recommend she be flown back to Japan as soon as possible but I fear this may aggravate her condition."

"What other options do we have?" Makoto asked.

"At this point, none. An experimental facility in Japan only offered to take her case because it bore a striking resemblance to the mental shutdowns that plagued the city of Tokyo last year but even they admit there are some major differences between those cases and this one."

The doctor sighed.

"I do have to warn you though, there is a strong possibility she may not survive the trip."

"I am so sorry to put you in this position, but with her parents gone and no other family listed on her file, the decision would fall to you Ms. Nijima. If we move her, there is an inherent risk she will never wake up. On the other hand, if she remains here in Singapore, any chance she has of recovery is close to zero. We just…are not equipped for something like this."

The doctor turned to leave.

"I don't want to rush you, but it is imperative we make a decision in a timely manner. If you do decide to move her, I suggest you prepare yourselves for the possibility you may have to say goodbye."

She exited the room and left the Thieves in stunned silence.

"No…" Makoto said, choking back a sob. "No no no, not her, please no."

Futaba pulled Makoto into a hug and cried with her as Ann sat down in the nearest chair and put her face in her hands. Yusuke put his head against a nearby wall and shut his eyes tightly while Olivia pulled Ryuji into a hug, with him crying into her shoulder. Morgana had fallen onto the floor, curled up and started crying while Akira stood motionless, staring at the catatonic Haru with tears in his eyes.

"We can't leave her here by herself." He said quietly.

"I'm sure the hospital staff will let us stay overnight, considering the circumstances." Yusuke offered, turning to face them.

"We'll need to stay out of the way of the hospital staff so we can't all be in here at once. We can all watch over her in shifts." Makoto suggested, pinching the bridge of her nose with two fingers.

"We should all pair up, I'll take the first watch with you, Queen." Morgana offered.

"Akira and I will take the second watch," Futaba said, grabbing her boyfriend's hand.

"Me and Olivia can go next." Ryuji said, putting an arm around Olivia. "We have a lot to talk about, so we won't have trouble staying awake."

"Ann and myself will take the last watch of the night then," Yusuke said before looking to Ann for approval. She replied with a quick nod before standing up, ceding the chair to Makoto.

"Olivia and I are going to go grab some food. Anyone want anything?" Ryuji asked the room.

"I don't know if I can keep anything down right now," Futaba admitted.

"That's fair," Ryuji said with a nod.

Makoto pulled two chairs to Haru's bedside and sat down as she spoke.

"Skull, if you can, bring back a box of Pocky? She'll probably want a snack when she wakes up." She asked weakly, gently taking her girlfriend's hand.

Akira and Ryuji exchanged pained glances, but Akira gave his friend a subtle nod.

"Yeah, sure thing Makoto. We'll be back in a bit."

As Morgana sat down next to his friend, the others exited the room leaving the two alone with Haru and the dim lights of the hospital room.

…

A few hours later, Akira and Futaba were watching over Haru. The redhead was leaning up against her boyfriend, staring at Haru's electrocardiograph line, her violet eyes watching as it rose and fell, hoping and praying it would continue to do so for the rest of the night.

She was snapped out of her trance as Akira snorted and jolted upright. Futaba, her arms wrapped around his upper arm, gave him a gentle squeeze.

"You ok?"

"Yeah, yeah I'm fine. Just started to doze off for a second." He told her before yawning.

"You can rest your eyes for a minute if you need to." She replied, gently touching the bandage on his cheek.

"I can't sleep, I need to be ready in case Akechi comes back." He said, his rage hardly masked by the softness of his voice, his eyes darting to the bandage wrapped around her thigh.

"We're safe here," Futaba told him only for him to cut her off.

"Are we though?" He snarled.

"If Akechi wanted to press his advantage, he wouldn't have withdrawn when he did, and he'd be stupid to attack us when our guard is still up. Trust me." She told him.

Her boyfriend let out a ragged sigh and looked down toward the floor.

"I'm sorry, I guess I'm still on edge after everything that happened." He said shaking his head.

"I can't believe I didn't see this coming. Yusuke's big break. All of us getting to stay in the same hotel in a city we've never been to. It all sounded too good to true, and turns out it was…"

Futaba gently put a hand on her beloved cheek and turned his head toward her before placing another hand on his opposite cheek and pulling him towards her, resting her forehead against hers.

"Hey hey listen to me, this is not your fault. It's not. Plus, you can't go around thinking that everything good in your life is just a disaster waiting to happen. Thoughts like those will eat you alive. Don't put yourself through that like I did, because it's awful and I never want you to feel a pain like that. Ok?"

Akira sighed.

"It's just…I thought this was all over. I thought we'd lead normal lives and in ten years we'd all be living next to each other on the same street and all our kids would be best friends with each other."

He looked up Haru with tears in his eyes.

"Now that dream seems like it's a million miles away, and it feels like there's a massive hole in my chest."

He sniffled and wiped tears from his eyes.

"What can I do?" Futaba asked eagerly.

"I don't think you can do anything Taba…I think I just need to go for a walk." He told her, standing up.

"Okay…I'll be here." She told him.

As he opened the door to leave, she turned and called out to him.

"Love you."

"Love you too." He said weakly before the door closed behind him.

Futaba looked to her friend with tears in her eyes. If Haru hadn't intervened, it would have been Arsene who got run through by Loki. Akira would have been the one in a hospital bed, barely clinging to life instead of her.

The redhead had a strange connection with Haru. They stumbled through Lovecraftian games with each other whenever their schedules allowed for it. They both took great joy in going to midnight premieres of the newest sci-fi movies and they both fell head over heels for the same guy.

Futaba sniffled as she leaned in and rested her hand on her friend's wrist.

"I remember…when Akira and I first started dating, you got really quiet around me. I thought you hated me but then, one day out of the blue, you told me that Morgana knew about where he was the most ticklish. You told me about the special alarm on his phone that tells him when he can go to bed because he worries that if he goes to bed before midnight, and we needed something, he wouldn't be awake. You told me how when he got stressed, you'd play with his hair to calm him down. You convinced me to buy star maps because he liked to go stargazing. I remember saying that it seemed like you were a better match for Akira than I was. I'll never forget what you told me."

Futaba took a long shaky breath and grabbed her friend hand with both of hers.

"You took my hands and said: Futaba, that man loves you with all his heart. There's nothing I can tell you that would make you more perfect for him than you already are. I'm not telling you this to make you feel inadequate, the only reason I'm telling you this is to give you the opportunity to reciprocate that love as much and as often as you can."

Futaba choked back a sob.

"I really needed to hear that…You have no idea how much I needed to hear that. You gave me the courage to love someone, someone I can't imagine going a day without. I just wish you were here to give me the courage to take on whatever life throws at us next. So…I really hope you wake up soon."

Futaba started crying, crying until she couldn't cry anymore, pulling her legs up to her chest and sniffling, only to hear someone walking through the hallway at speed. She turned to the door, expecting Akira to walk through the door, but he never came.

The footsteps grew quieter but never slowed. The redheaded girl stood up and walked over to the door and stuck her head out into the hall to see Makoto walking towards the elevator. She glanced worriedly at Haru before she heard her boyfriend's voice call out to her from behind her.

"Where's Queen going?" He asked.

Futaba felt her heart plummet into her stomach as she surged after her.

"Taba?" Akira asked again.

"Just watch Haru, I'm gonna find out what she's up to." She told him before jogging after her friend.

"Makoto?" She asked.

Her friend turned to look at her as she rounded a corner, walking ever faster. Futaba had to start running to catch up.

"Makoto?! Where are you going?" She asked.

"To find Akechi." She replied as Futaba caught up to her.

"By yourself?" Her friend yelped.

"Yes." She replied coldly.

"No no not by yourself. We need to stay together." Futaba insisted.

"Akechi did something to Haru. He did… _something_ to her Persona. That can't be normal. I have to find out what he did to her. I'll break every bone in his body if I have to." Her friend snarled. "I can't just sit here all night."

"Makoto please, we need you here, Haru needs you!" Futaba pleaded.

Makoto wheeled around, glaring at her friend, her red eyes watering.

"She's dying in there, Futaba-"

"You don't think I know that?!" She exclaimed, tears streaking down her cheeks.

"I just had what might be my last conversation with her and now you wanna run off to try and fight Akechi by yourself? No no, you can't go, please I'm begging you."

"There's nothing you can say to change my mind, I have to do this." Makoto told her, trying to hide the emotion in her voice.

"I can't lose two sisters in one night!" Futaba yelled as a door down the hall flung open.

"Nurse! Nurse! Help!" Akira yelled from down the hall.

"Haru…" Makoto whispered, before looking down the hallway towards the stairwell.

"Please don't…" Futaba whimpered.

"I watched my dad die…I can't do that again with Haru, not when I know I can do something about it." She told her friend.

"Makoto…" Futaba sobbed as her friend shut her eyes and turned, sprinting away to the stairwell.

"I'm sorry!" She yelled as she vanished into the stairwell, leaving Futaba to fall to her knees and cry in the middle of the hallway, calling for her friend to come back before her phone rang in her purse.

She quickly fumbled through its contents before yanking the device out and answering the call, cursing as she saw the caller ID.

"Oh thank god, are you alright? I'm sorry I forgot to call you." Futaba said, wiping tears from her eyes before she continued. "Listen we're at the hospital, something happened to Haru, you need to get down here.…"

…

Makoto was breathing hard as she descended through the hospital's westernmost stairwell, memories of her girlfriend flooding her brain as she pushed herself to go faster and faster.

"I'm not going to lose you, I'm not going to lose you." She told herself as she reached the bottom of the stairwell, only to trip and land on her chin, earning some cries of alarm for the administrative staff manning the reception desk.

Makoto just huffed and scrambled to her feet, exiting the hospital to see a figure cloaked in a bright yellow poncho standing on the curb. She slid to a stop in the grass and clenched her fists.

"' Fraid I can't let you go, Queen." The figure said, removing her poncho to reveal a head of blazing red hair, and a toned body beneath a black tailcoat and body suit.

Kasumi Yoshizawa was staring her down from across the grass.

"You're not stopping me, Rose! I have to do this!" Makoto shouted.

The girl drew her sword and got into a fighting stance. Makoto cursed under her breath, Kasumi had been the only one to keep her weapon from the old days rather than put it into storage at Le Blanc like everyone else.

"You're smarter than this Makoto. If you run off, on your own, you're going to get killed. Then what happens when Haru wakes up? she'll be alone. I know you wouldn't do that to her. Now come on, let's go inside." Kasumi said, still not budging as her friend continued her advance. She already knew that she was trying to get within striking distance.

Anat appeared behind Makoto and the air around her shimmered, and once it cleared, she was standing in full Phantom Thief garb.

"You're welcome to help, but if you don't get out of my way, I promise I will go through you."

Kasumi shook her head and Cendrillon strode out the firestorm that erupted behind her.

"You're my friend Makoto, I don't want to fight you…but if it means keeping you safe from yourself, I'll do what I have to." She said, sheathing her sword and raising her fists.

The sky split open as rain started to pour on the two fighters, lighting darted across the sky as they charged one another, and thunder cracked as the two girls and their personas collided and started to grapple with one another.

The fight was on.

…

A.N- Remember when I said we were going to start having weekly updates? A little under a month ago? Haha, good times. In all seriousness thank you all for being so patient for the past few weeks. My personal nonfiction project crossed a big threshold (200 pages and the first act is finally done!) so I've been talking to my beta readers about what they think of it so far.

I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and don't hate me too much for putting everyone through the wringer this chapter. Figured it was time to roll out the angst train after all the fluff we've had the past few chapters and balance the scales. I'm sure you have a lot of questions after everything that happened. Don't worry, answering those questions is going to be a priority going forward as it pretty much sets up where we are going next plot-wise. We have only one chapter left in the Singapore Arc and two chapters left in the Summer Arc that we've been going through since the Disneyland chapters.

Which will lead, of course, to the Fall Arc which will lead to some really juicy chapters I've been wanting to write for a long time and I'm excited we'll be getting there soon! The rest of this fic is outlined at this point, it's now just a matter of getting to the end. I won't give an exact chapter count that's left because although everything is outlined, I'm still splitting certain plot threads into multiple parts and consolidating smaller chapters into singular large chapters. Maybe as we get closer to the end, I'll give you an exact countdown till the final chapter, just to make sure you're all sweating because if you aren't sweating by the end of this whole thing, I have failed.

Whelp, that's all I have to say for now. I look forward to seeing what you all think of this chapter. I'm going to try and start replying to reviews and comments again, just to show my appreciation for you guys!

Thanks for reading and until next time!

See yah!


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